Iran protests enter second week as Ghalibaf warns of 'foreign' actors
Senior Iranian officials have begun pointing to foreign actors to explain the ongoing nationwide protests.
Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on Monday called for dialogue with protesters whose demonstrations over economic collapse and political discontent have engulfed numerous cities, while also accusing what he described as foreign-linked actors of seeking to hijack the unrest.
What happened: Speaking to Iran’s parliament, Ghalibaf said that “dialogue with protesters is essential” and “all efforts must be directed toward restoring economic stability,” according to Iran’s semiofficial news agency Mehr.
Ghalibaf said the protesters' demands are “legitimate,” but he also made a distinction between what he described as “protesters” and “rioters.”
The speaker warned that there are “individuals directly or indirectly linked to foreign intelligence services whose role is to hijack protests and turn them into unrest.”
