A Member of Parliament: We Should Not Be Naive to Think That Public Protests Have Died Down

A member of the Islamic Consultative Assembly deemed public protests as 'justified' and stated that the performance of the thirteenth government, particularly in the economic sector, has laid the groundwork for these protests. Mohammad Hassan Asafari, in an interview with Didban Iran, said: 'I believe when people protest against inflation, livelihood, and unemployment, these protests are real and should be taken seriously. The performance of the thirteenth government in the economic sphere has faced numerous weaknesses, and this issue is the basis for the protests. I believe that with rising prices, public protests will take on a new form.' He added: 'We should not be overly naive to think that public protests have ceased because society is protesting against the economic situation, and if we stick cotton in our ears and ignore the protests, the people have not sworn an oath of allegiance to the regime.' This member of parliament emphasized that the main pressures are on the people, and officials do not feel or sense this pressure, stating: 'The difference in salary payments is an injustice that the parliament and government must resolve. It is unjust to say that a retiree with a meager pension has no right to protest while someone in a certain position is unaware of their income; this is pure injustice.' The article also mentions a 50% increase in the price of school supplies, the intensification of food price inflation in Iran, and the unwillingness of anyone to accept the government's rent ceiling, highlighting the rampant inflation in the housing market. Khamenei, without referring to his role in imposing sanctions, urged Raisi to neutralize the sanctions by reducing inflation.