ISLAMABAD, Thursday, January 29, 2026 (WNP): Iran’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Reza Amiri Moghadam, on Thursday accused foreign actors of exploiting peaceful economic protests in Iran to foment violence and unrest, while reaffirming Tehran’s commitment to constitutional rights, lawful protest, and dialogue with citizens.

Briefing journalists at the Iranian Embassy here, the ambassador provided a detailed chronology of events following the Iranian government’s decision in mid-December 2025 to initiate “economic surgery,” aimed at reforming subsidies and improving the allocation of state resources. The reform included abolishing preferential foreign currency allocations and redirecting subsidies directly to citizens, a move the government said was intended to protect vulnerable groups and stabilize long-term economic fundamentals.

According to Ambassador Moghadam, the policy shift had short-term psychological effects on the market, triggering currency volatility and inflationary pressures. These developments led to sector-based, lawful protests beginning on Sunday, December 28, 2025, particularly in Tehran’s historic bazaar, where traders, shopkeepers, importers, and guild representatives demanded market stability and effective measures to curb volatility.

“The initial gatherings were peaceful, professional, and demand-driven,” the ambassador said, adding that protesters sought to voice economic concerns calmly and without disrupting public order.

He stressed that the Iranian authorities recognized these demands and committed to addressing them through dialogue and administrative measures.

He noted that President Masoud Pezeshkian promptly instructed the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade, provincial governors across all 31 provinces, and other relevant institutions to engage with economic actors and resolve outstanding issues. Consultative meetings were held with bazaar unions and business communities, and immediate support packages were introduced for vulnerable segments of society, he said.

The ambassador emphasized that Iran remains bound by its obligations under international human rights law, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and that the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are guaranteed under Iran’s constitution and domestic legal framework.

“The government is committed to protecting peaceful protest while also fulfilling its responsibility to safeguard public security,” he added.

However, Ambassador Moghadam alleged that the situation escalated following what he described as overt foreign interference. He cited a series of statements by senior US and Israeli figures, including remarks by US President Donald Trump, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and Israeli officials, amounted to incitement.

He recalled that on December 29, 2025, Donald Trump addressed a press conference in New York, followed by a January 2 statement declaring that the US was “locked and loaded,” which the ambassador claimed served as a signal to militant and terrorist elements.

He also referenced comments attributed to Mike Pompeo alleging the presence of Mossad agents among protesters, and later remarks by US officials encouraging demonstrators to “take over institutions.”

According to the Iranian envoy, these statements coincided with attempts by organized criminal gangs, foreign-backed terrorist groups, and separatist elements to hijack peaceful protests and turn them into violent confrontations. He said these groups carried out armed clashes with law-enforcement personnel and civilians, attacks on police stations, arson, vandalism, and the use of Molotov cocktails and firearms.

“These acts had no connection to the legitimate economic demands of peaceful protesters and were neither endorsed nor supported by the majority of the Iranian population,” he said.

Ambassador Moghadam said Iranian authorities consistently drew a clear distinction between peaceful civic protest and organized violence, a position publicly articulated by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on January 3, 2026. Quoting the statement, he said: “Protest is justified. We engage in dialogue with protesters. Officials must talk to protesters. However, those who come with the intention of destruction, creating insecurity, and exploiting protests to cause riots must be confronted.”

He maintained that Iranian law-enforcement forces acted with restraint and in accordance with national laws, exercising necessity and proportionality to restore order while minimizing harm and respecting human rights.

The ambassador expressed deep concern over increasing foreign interference in Iran’s internal affairs, accusing the Israeli leadership and certain US officials of seeking to sow division within Iranian society and undermine national cohesion. He also linked the unrest to the long-term impact of unilateral coercive measures, saying sanctions have directly harmed the Iranian people’s economic, social, and cultural rights.

He said that despite external pressure and internal unrest, large numbers of Iranians demonstrated on January 12, 2026, in support of the Islamic Republic and the government, rejecting misleading foreign narratives.

Providing figures on the damage caused during the unrest, Ambassador Moghadam said hundreds of public and private facilities were damaged or destroyed, including ambulances, buses, gas stations, banks, government buildings, police stations, schools, mosques, libraries, churches, ATMs, and private vehicles. He stated that the total death toll stood at 3,117, including 2,427 civilians and security personnel and 690 individuals identified as terrorists.

Concluding the briefing, the ambassador reiterated Iran’s resolve to pursue economic reforms, engage with citizens through dialogue, and resist foreign attempts to destabilize the country. He said Iran would continue to distinguish between legitimate civic expression and violent actions, while safeguarding national sovereignty and public order.