Iran battling enemy on ‘four fronts’: Speaker
FM says fire of riot to come back to haunt US, Israel
Iran’s Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf on Sunday said the country is fighting in a pitched battle with the United States and Israel on “four fronts” but vowed that the nation would “stand firm” against the enemy.
The comments come as the country have been the scene of street protests in several towns and cities in the past two weeks over economic woes and the depreciation of the national currency.
The protests, however, turned violent in recent days with scores killed, including security forces, as, according to authorities, rioters and terrorists infiltrated the crowds to incite deadly unrest, vandalism, and arsonist attacks.
Local media, including Fars and Tasnim, published dozens of photos showing banks, buses, cars, government buildings, and public and private property being set ablaze by rioters.
US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made “meddlesome” remarks about the developments in Iran, which was rejected by Iranian officials as interference in the country’s domestic affairs.
“We are today in a battle against the Zionist and American enemy on four fronts of economic, cognitive, military, and terrorist war,” Qalibaf told an open session of Parliament, according to Mehr News Agency.
“The enemy was defeated in the 12-day war. It is now entering a phase of terrorist warfare and has adopted a Daesh-like method to create fatalities,” he warned, referring to the US-Israeli aggression on Iran in June.
The top lawmaker said the Armed Forces and the Iranian people “would hold their ground firmly and would not step back an iota” in their fight against terrorists.
“They will put an end to this war,” Qalibaf said, warning that traitors and terrorists would be brought to justice.
The speaker noted that the Islamic Republic “has insisted on recognizing people’s rightful protests” and would bring back economic stability and stop volatility in the forex market in the short term.
“It is our duty to restore economic stability in the country. People should be able to plan for their livelihood and businesses… their purchasing power should be maintained.”
The rial dropped to a record low against the US dollar last week. It is being traded at around IRR1.45 million in the free market.
‘Fire’ to backfire
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghcni dismissed the US claim that Iran was “delusional” about American and Israeli spy agencies’ involvement in the county’s riots.
In a post on his X account republished by IRNA on Sunday, Araghchi accused those agencies of fueling unrest in Iran, citing acknowledgment by the former CIA chief under Trump who “openly and shamelessly” revealed Israel’s Mossad and their US backers’ activities in Iran.
“The only delusional aspect of the current situation is that you think the fire will not eventually burn its kindler,” he wrote.