According to Khabaronline, an Iranian news agency, Masoud Pezeshkian stated on Sunday, January 11, 2026 (corresponding to Dey 21, 1404 in the Persian calendar), in a televised interview with Iran's national broadcaster: "Our duty is to resolve the people's problems at all costs, and we ask the people to urge their children not to align themselves with these trained terrorists."
He added: "The United States and Israel are sitting outside of Iran, issuing instructions for you to go and cause destruction, and we are behind you. Yes, we must listen to the protests. "
Pezeshkian continued: "In recent weeks, some merchants have held protests. I invited many of them to the Presidential office and held meetings with them, listening to every word of theirs."
He added: "In the government and at a cabinet meeting, with the presence of ministers, we invited the merchants and decided to resolve their problems at all costs."
The President further stated: "The enemy has introduced a number of terrorist forces into the country and wants to keep the country restless at all costs. Could it be that a simple individual would set fire to the entire market of Rasht?"
This statement by President Pezeshkian is a direct response to ongoing protests and unrest within Iran. It represents a significant escalation in the rhetoric surrounding the situation. The President frames the protests not as a genuine expression of popular grievances, but as the result of external manipulation by the United States and Israel, specifically through the deployment of "terrorist forces."