The Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, stated that the frustration of what he described as the “American-Israeli plot” has caused despair for US President Donald Trump, and prompted him to express “contradictory and angry” reactions.
Iranian media outlets quoted Ghalibaf as saying that the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution succeeded in “separating the ranks of protesters from rioters,” stressing that this position was taken “without regard to the threats of the American president,” as he said.
Ghalibaf explained that the “recent sedition” that Iran witnessed was not just a passing incident, but a direct extension of what he called the “American-Israeli aggression” against the country, considering that what happened represents part of a systematic plan aimed at destabilizing internal stability.
In this regard, the Speaker of Parliament indicated that the events of January 8 and 9 represent a “terrorist war similar to the ISIS organization,” explaining that its goals, according to him, are similar to what happened in “Operation al-Baydar” in Lebanon, in terms of reliance on shock and chaos to achieve political and security goals.
For weeks, Iran has been witnessing sporadic protests in a number of cities, due to difficult economic and living conditions and accumulated social pressures, in light of the continuation of Western sanctions, the decline in purchasing power, and high inflation rates. These movements were accompanied by calls via social media to expand the scope of the protests, which prompted the Iranian authorities to intensify security measures and warn against “external exploitation” of these movements.
Ghalibaf’s statements come within the framework of an Iranian political and media escalation that coincides with the existing tension with Washington, amid an exchange of accusations, and attempts by each side to consolidate its narrative about what is happening inside Iran and its regional effects.
