Iran's situation 'under full control', claims Araghchi

The country's Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi has commented that the protests in Iran have turned into a 'terrorist war' due to 'foreign interference'. He also claimed that the overall situation in the country is currently under the complete control of the government.

He also said that his country is ready for anything, 'dialogue or war' with the United States.

During an exchange of views with foreign ambassadors in the capital Tehran on Monday, Seyyed Araghchi said, "What is happening in Iran is no longer a protest - it has turned into a terrorist war. Under the guise of protests, terrorists are wreaking havoc in this country, killing ordinary people and members of the security forces."

"And these terrorists are being given instructions from outside the country. Several audio clips have now come to our attention, where instructions have been given to wreak havoc."

"However, the government and the military are always ready to protect the country from these terrorists. The terrorists will never win. The overall situation is under the government's control."

Directly blaming Trump for foreign interference in the Iranian protests, Araghchi said, "Foreign terrorists have been encouraged mainly because of Trump's unwanted interference. We want to be clear, we are ready for anything with the United States, whether it is war or dialogue."

For the past two weeks, a large-scale anti-government movement has been going on in Iran. As the days go by, the level of the movement is also becoming more intense.

The main reason for this movement is the economy. Due to years of devaluation, Iran's currency, the Iranian rial, is the weakest currency in the world. Currently, the value of the Iranian rial against the dollar is 994,055. That is, 994,055 Iranian rials are now available against one dollar in Iran.

As a result of this crisis in the national currency, severe inflation has been going on in Iran for a long time. The general public of Iran is struggling to meet basic needs such as food, clothing, housing, and medical care.

In this situation, on December 28, wholesale and retail traders in various markets in the capital Tehran called for a strike to protest inflation and the increase in the cost of living. The protests began with that strike.

Within a few days, protests spread like wildfire to almost all cities and villages in Iran's 31 provinces, and the intensity of the protests increased day by day. Currently, the protesters have practically brought the entire country to a standstill.

US President Donald Trump has expressed strong support for the protests from the beginning. He has threatened several times that a military operation will be launched in the country if the ruling Islamic Republic of Iran takes steps to suppress the protests in a brutal manner.

Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian promised on Sunday to overhaul the country's economy. He also said that his government is ready to listen to the people.