As Iran was rocked by a fourth day of protests, officials responded ambiguously by attempting to both co-opt the economic grievances of the demonstrators and promising to confront those who cause damage to property.

President Hassan Rouhani finally addressed the protests during a Cabinet meeting. He conceded that Iranians were right in their protests against not only the economy but also on corruption and transparency. However, he said the administration would not tolerate rioting or destruction of property. Rouhani also dismissed US President Donald Trump’s statements in support of the protests, saying that months ago Trump had referred to Iran as a “terrorist nation.” Rouhani also thanked the officials and security forces who did not confront protesters with violence and who showed restraint. Rouhani said that people should have a space to voice their criticism in the media.

Some of the most interesting comments have been made by conservative officials and pundits who have all previously condemned protests, especially the 2009 Green Movement protests. Ahmad Tavakoli, a former parliamentarian and member of the Expediency Council, called the street protests “predictable” due to the administration’s economic policies. He compared the policies to those of Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani's presidency in the 1990s; Tavakoli called them “harsh policies,” presumably referring to neoliberal economic measures to cut subsidies. 

Addressing the protests that started in Mashhad, former hard-line parliament member Hamid Rasaei accused media linked to Rouhani of censoring those who are “protesting the current situation.” Mehdi Mohammadi, the former adviser to Saeed Jalili, a former nuclear negotiator under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, wrote that “protesting against economic difficulties is the right of the people.” Conservative analyst Vahid Yaminpour tweeted, “It has been reported that the president has called an emergency meeting. I hope that before the security and intelligence ministers give their reports on how to quiet the protesters, the economic ministers will think about how to improve the current situation.”