Iranian President Hassan Rouhani once again used ‘conspiracy theory’ as an excuse to defend his government’s performance in managing the economic crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic all while facing sanctions.
Rouhani said that claiming the government is inefficient and unqualified comes within the context of achieving the ‘conspiracy’ of the enemies of Iran. He accused a ‘current of distortion’ of working to inhibit the economy at the time of sanctions and painting an unclear and ambiguous picture of the situation in the country through the spreading of rumors and presenting misleading statistics and data.
Rouhani’s remarks came hours before him heading a meeting of the government’s economic coordination board in Tehran with the attendance of Chief Justice of Judicial system of Iran Ebrahim Raisi and the Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
Rouhani took pride in achieving ‘undeniable success’ on health and economic levels, blaming the currents of distortion and sanctions of seeking to bring the country’s economic activity to a screeching halt and to deny achievements and frustrate Iranians who are hopeful about their future.
The Iranian president had borrowed the term ‘distortion and sanctions currents’ from recent statements given by Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Rouhani described making people disappointed and weakening the front line fighters of the economic battle as examples of the distortion current in an erosive, smart, and hard economic war as the enemy’s fifth column.
A year before the end of its mandate, the government faces increasing pressure from the majority-controlled parliament, which opposes Rouhani's economic and foreign policy.
Lawmakers in the middle of last month backed away from an attempt to grill Rouhani after markets recorded new deterioration and a rise in foreign currencies.
The Tasnim news agency, the media platform of the Revolutionary Guards' intelligence agency, quoted a member of parliament as saying that the proposal was dropped after Khamenei expressed his support for the government.
