Iran’s Parliament speaker: Protesters must be heard but foreign-linked agitators will be dealt with

Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf has said that people’s protests must be heard, while warning that individuals linked to foreign spy services who seek to hijack protests and turn them into riots must be dealt with separately.

Speaking in an open session of the parliament on Monday, Qalibaf emphasized that such measures are necessary to ensure that the security and peace of the people are not compromised.

Protests erupted last week after shopkeepers in Tehran temporarily closed their businesses to protest the sharp fall of the national currency, which plunged to record lows against the US dollar.

Iranian officials have acknowledged the economic pressure facing the public and said peaceful protests are legitimate. At the same time, they have warned that foreign-backed elements are seeking to exploit the situation and fuel violence.

Qalibaf said that “the Iranian nation, throughout history, has put many mercenaries, traitors and sellouts in their place, and today as well it will not take long before the enemy—despite deploying all of its intelligence, security and media capacities—once again suffers defeat at the hands of the Iranian people.”

He noted that Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei’s guidance on separating protesters from rioters and instigators is “clear and instructive,” calling it a roadmap for managing unrest.

The Leader warned Saturday that “protest is legitimate, but protest is different from rioting,” adding that officials must engage with protesters, because “talking to the protester is different from talking to the rioter; talking to the rioter is of no use, and the rioter must be put in his place.”

Qalibaf stated that the government must engage in dialogue with protesters, underlining that many of their grievances are legitimate.

“Every effort must be made to create economic stability,” he said, adding that the government is determined to act and expressing hope that planned measures will address the rightful demands of protesters.

Leader hails bazaaris as most loyal to Islamic Republic, says foes behind currency devaluation

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says the national currency devaluation is “unnatural” and involves “the hand of the enemy.”

Turning to international affairs, Qalibaf slammed Israel for committing war crimes in Gaza, saying that “hundreds of thousands of women, children and civilians” have been killed, deprived of food and water, and dehumanized, while Israeli leaders openly boast about such actions.

Despite condemnation in international courts, he said, Israeli officials are applauded in the US Congress.

“By contrast, someone like the legitimate president of Venezuela [Nicolas Maduro] is kidnapped in violation of all international laws. Venezuela has neither committed child killings nor genocide; rather, this is the price it pays for possessing rich mineral and fossil resources and for refusing to hand control of them over to the US,” he noted.

Qalibaf further said the US resorts to hard power when it believes soft power is no longer effective.

He added that as Washington perceives itself to be in decline and seeks to exploit its final opportunities to maintain dominance and extract resources, it has adopted “the behavior of a madman.”

“Today marks the end of the era of international law and the beginning of the law of the jungle in international relations,” he said.

In such a world, Qalibaf noted, countries must be strong to remain independent, and unity is essential to achieving that strength. “A united and resilient Iran is the enemy’s nightmare,” he said.

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