Secretary of the Guardian Council: I am worried about what will happen next year

The Secretary of the Guardian Council states that officials of the Islamic Republic cannot expect that no one will protest, but protests must be lawful. He also mentioned, "I am worried about what will happen next year." A month after protests swept across Iran, Ahmad Jannati spoke about recognizing the protests against economic conditions, referring to the difficulties faced by Iranian families. According to Fars News Agency, the Secretary of the Guardian Council and Chairman of the Assembly of Experts stated on Tuesday, February 5: "Officials must live in poverty so that the poor do not die of grief; when the economic situation is bad, the poor protest in the streets because they cannot bear life." He added: "We cannot expect that no one will raise their voice in protest. The voice of protests should be loud, but it must be according to legal standards." Mr. Jannati said: "The economic situation of the people is very bad; of course, I do not enter this area because I cannot do anything, but when I eat food, I am sad that we can afford it while some people cannot." The Secretary of the Guardian Council also stated: "I am worried about what will happen next year because we must consider and analyze the possibilities." The recent protests in Iran began with economic slogans but quickly shifted to target the Supreme Leader and the system of Velayat-e Faqih as the protests expanded. Meanwhile, Islamic Republic officials, including President Hassan Rouhani, have acknowledged the right of citizens to protest and march but emphasized that it must be lawful. It has been decided that ministers and officials will speak with the people and explain what they have done and what they can do to calm the public. People must be convinced that we care about them, and if we have not been able to do anything, we intended to but have not succeeded. Ahmad Jannati, Secretary of the Guardian Council, stated that according to Article 27 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, "forming gatherings and marches, without carrying weapons, is free as long as it does not disrupt the principles of Islam." However, in practice, the Iranian Ministry of Interior does not issue permits for gatherings, and peaceful protests by critics and opponents of the Islamic Republic are usually met with violence from the ruling forces. The protests last December left at least 25 dead, and nearly five thousand people were arrested, with hundreds still imprisoned. According to ILNA News Agency, Ahmad Jannati also mentioned that "the current issue of the Islamic Republic" is the attempt to overthrow the regime. He stated: "We must thwart the conspiracies and take the issue of overthrowing seriously." He said, "It has been decided that ministers and officials will talk to the people and tell them what they have done and what they can do to calm the public. People must be convinced that we care about them, and if we have not been able to do anything, we intended to but have not succeeded." Islamic Republic officials have attributed the recent protests to Riyadh, Tel Aviv, and Washington, but even voices from within the Iranian regime reject this narrative, citing inefficiencies and the lack of political and social freedoms as causes of these protests. Conservative figures emphasize economic conditions in their analysis of the protests, while some reformists have issued statements attributing the root of the issue to the lack of political reforms and civil and media freedoms in the country.