Masoud Pezeshkian, Iran’s president, has apologized to protesters who were harmed in the recent unrest, while criticizing the role of other countries in fueling the demonstrations.
Speaking on Wednesday, February 11, marking the 47th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, Pezeshkian issued the apology without referring to the security forces’ crackdown on protesters.
“We are ashamed before the people and are obliged to assist all those who were harmed in these incidents. We are not seeking confrontation with the people,” he said.
He also emphasized that Iran is not pursuing nuclear weapons and is prepared to accept any form of verification and inspection.
His remarks come as U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday the deployment of a second aircraft carrier toward Iran.
Trump warned that if negotiations between Washington and Tehran fail to yield results, military action could follow.
Iranian officials have put the number of casualties from the recent protests at more than 3,000, while human rights organizations estimate the toll to exceed 6,000.
