January 01, 2018•Update: January 01, 2018
By Narges Rezai and Mustafa Melih Ahishali
ISTANBUL
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Sunday warned Iranians against the ongoing anti-government protests across the country.
"We should avoid putting the country in a situation the enemies can take advantage of," Rouhani said, following a cabinet meeting.
"I want the youth and our people to be on alert. Currently, our region and country is passing through a sensitive period," he added.
Thousands of Iranians on Thursday hit the streets in the northeastern cities of Mashhad and Kashmar to protest rising commodity prices and perceived government mismanagement, according to local media reports.
In the protests two people died, tens of others were wounded while more than 300 were detained, according to reports.
In his statement which came for the first time since Thursday, Rouhani said the constitution allowed people to have a difference of opinion.
"Criticism and objection should be done in a way that would lead to the improvement of the country's and people's conditions," Rouhani said.
Speaking about economic issues, he said, some of them are problems from the past while others are current issues.
“The government and citizens should help each other. It is not just the economy that people criticize. Corruption and transparency are among the issues people want resolved.
“The government’s efforts to decrease unemployment continues. The purchasing power of people has not recovered since four or five years.”
