Rouhani: Let's tell the people the truth; war cannot be fought without casualties

The Iranian president says that the people will not be “without problems” in Iran’s war with the United States and “historical aggressors,” because the war is “not without deaths and injuries.” He also warned about “disappointing” the Iranian people by some “platform owners and media people.”

According to the Presidential Information Center, Hassan Rouhani made these statements at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, saying that the group that is "setting the tone" against Iran today "has the worst situation within their own country."

Mr. Rouhani stated that today the Islamic Republic is in a "clear war" against "the aggressors of history," adding that the United States, with the exception of a few countries, has no "political or intellectual support," and that some intellectuals and experts are even openly calling the "inhabitants of the White House" "idiots and fools."

He expressed the "heavy duty and mission of the tribune and media owners" in the current situation of the country, warning against creating "fear" in the hearts of the people and destroying their morale.

Rouhani said: "If we stand firm and give people morale, we have reduced the nation's cost, but if we create fear, panic, and despair, we have increased the nation's cost. And what could be more counter-revolutionary than for us to create fear in the hearts of the people on the front pages of our newspapers, websites, news agencies, and media?"

According to the official IRNA news agency, the Iranian president emphasized the need to tell the people the truth and stated, "Of course, people will not be without problems in this war, because war does not happen without deaths and injuries, but this is a war that we are sure will have final victory and that we will defeat the enemy in it."

He made these statements despite having repeatedly told the Iranian people that they should not have any concerns about the country's governance and their basic needs.

In February 2017, the Iranian President told the people to “feel at ease about the dollar,” and in April of this year, he also said: “I tell the people of the country not to worry about running the country. We know exactly what we are doing… We have the necessary currency and all the country’s needs will be met.”

Following the announcement of the US withdrawal from the JCPOA, the value of the Iranian rial has fallen significantly, resulting in an increase in the prices of many goods and services in Iran.

The second round of US sanctions against the Islamic Republic, targeting Iran's oil industry, will take effect in November, and this has raised concerns within the country.

In response to the situation in the foreign exchange market in Iran, Rouhani said: "What percentage of the role does foreign exchange play in our country's economy?... Assuming that the import of goods and services plays a 10 percent role, we need to see how much of this amount is left in the 4,200 toman currency, how much in the 7,000 toman currency, and how much is left for the third market."

The president described the calculation of the country's economy based on foreign currency as "far from justice, expertise, truth, and fairness" and criticized the fact that "our experts, elites, journalists, and editorial writers are not telling the people these facts."

He said: "Today, education, healthcare, water and electricity, gas, gasoline, diesel, and energy services are not calculated based on the dollars in the back alleys of a particular street."

Rouhani has warned against "disappointing" the people in a situation where the country is in a state of "economic and psychological war" and has called for expressing "positive points" to them as well.

He also said that "no one should imagine that destroying the government can generate votes for them, either in the elections next year or in the elections of 1400."

Using the term "pessimism virus" as used by the Leader of the Islamic Republic, the Iranian President added that "some people today are spreading the virus of pessimism in the country through their speeches, platforms, and media."

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei supported Rouhani's action a day after he appeared in parliament to answer questions from representatives about the country's economic situation, which, according to political activists, the president did not raise any important points in his speech.

He considered disagreements among officials to be natural, but added: "These disagreements should not be reported in the media because they will worry and upset people."

Regarding Rouhani's presence in the parliament and what happened in that session, Khamenei said that the session was "a demonstration of the authority and stability of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and may God bless Mr. President and the legislature, who jointly demonstrated such a display of authority."

Source: Radio Farda