Iran’s president says state must admit mistakes after protests

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said authorities must accept they have made mistakes in governing the country, warning that ignoring public grievances would only push society toward anger, violence and alienation.

“We must accept that we have made mistakes in the way we run affairs,” Pezeshkian said, according to state media. “If we do not become aware of our own errors and do not try to fix them, and only blame others, we will get nowhere.”

He said public frustration would grow if state bodies remained indifferent to the demands and problems of poorer groups.

“When all institutions and governing bodies ignore the demands and problems of vulnerable groups, we cannot expect society not to move toward violence, apathy and distancing from the country and the system,” he said.

Pezeshkian also called for the public release of details from an intelligence ministry report on the causes of recent unrest.

“The details of the intelligence ministry’s report on the causes of the recent events should be made public so people can understand the realities and different dimensions of what happened,” he said.