Iran: State-run media confess to regime’s difficult situation after 2018 uprisings

Iran: State-run media confess to regime’s difficult situation after 2018 uprisings

Iranian people's uprising in January 2018

Analysis by PMOI/MEK

Iran, July 6, 2019 - "The 2018 protests, which spread to more than 100 cities, was a turning point" for the Iranian regime, Iran newspaper, the official publication of the government of Hassan Rouhani, wrote in reference to recent comments of the regime's president.

On July 3, Rouhani had said, "Some incidents happened in January 2018, which I don't want to discuss right now. There were also threats from the U.S., and we entered a new phase since January 2018 which has continued to this day. We've been through a very tough, 18-month period."

In this regard, Iran writes, "Rouhani divided his tenure into two periods, and the turning point was the January 2018 protests. He views those incidents as the beginning of a domino of developments that have led to the current situation in the country… We can't disregard the fact that those incidents indicate that there are problems and our society has been damaged… Poor living conditions, differences between upper and lower classes of the society, and a widening rift between old and new generations were some of the issues that manifested themselves during the January 2018 incidents."

Previously, on July 1, Rouhani's newspaper had written, "Before the 2018 events, every incident that happened, the government (in general) stood in the middle. But the 2018 event brought everything in front and center and expanded it to everywhere. Just look at the number of cities that were involved. More than 100 cities were involved."

This January, Ali Rabiei, Rouhani's previous Labor Minister and his current spokesperson, said, "In January 2018, protests spread to 160 cities and several were killed in these cities."

State-run Jahan-e Sanat newspaper mocked Rouhani and wrote, "By looking at people’s faces from behind the tinted window of his car, [Rouhani] decided that the fact that the people's table cloth is shrinking, [people's purchasing power is diminishing], is not important. Given the rise in prices, this outlook of the economy and the comments of high ranking officials only indicates that there's no confidence in the executive structure of the country and the promises of officials."

Hamdeli, another state-run publication, also referred to the explosive state of the society and wrote, “The state is experiencing dangerous conditions. In fact, several problems, which unfortunately intensify every day, have caused a kind of distrust in the various classes of society. Consequently, we are witnessing despair and disappointment. This can impose very dangerous and costly consequences and threaten the interests of the state.”

Arman, another state-run publication, remarked on the unequal distribution of wealth and wrote, "This means that the society is moving toward polarization and in conclusion, there is a probability of repetition of events like January 2018. So, in this situation, is it possible to find a solution? The answer, from a realistic perspective, is 'no.'"