No Plan for President Rouhani’s Speech on Iran Protests

The Iran newspaper had quoted a source close to the president’s office as saying that Rouhani will talk to people within a few hours about the recent anti-government protests and gatherings held in various Iranian cities over economic woes.

However, an official with the president’s office later declared the president has no plan for addressing the nation, and will just attend a regular cabinet session on Sunday.

The protests, which started in the religious cities of Mashhad and Qom on Thursday, mainly focused on economic grievances, particularly the surge in prices and the financial corruption of the state bodies.

However, the ensuing protest rallies in other cities on Friday and Saturday involved more political slogans. Iranian authorities and analysts believe anti-Iran media and foreign officials are trying to make the demonstrations political and provoke people to chant anti-Establishment slogans.