Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian. AFP
Protests in Iran sparked by anger over the rising cost of living have lasted two weeks, with some demanding greater change against the theocratic system in place since the 1979 revolution.
"The people (of Iran) should not allow rioters to disrupt society. The people should believe that we (the government) want to establish justice," he told state broadcaster IRIB.
Pezeshkian called on Iranians to "come together and not let these people riot" on the streets.
"If people have a concern we will hear them, it is our duty to hear them and solve their problems. However, our highest duty is to not allow rioters to come and disrupt the society," he said.
An Israeli minister on Thursday said that Israeli agents were operating "right now" in Iran to destabilize the regime amid widespread protests over rising living costs.
Large crowds have gathered across the country in recent days, chanting anti-government slogans despite an internet blackout.
State TV has aired images of buildings, including a mosque on fire, with authorities saying members of the security forces have been killed.
Pezeshkian accused the United States and Israel of "trying to escalate this unrest with regard to the economic discussion and solutions we are working on".
"They have taken some people here inside and abroad and trained them. They brought terrorists in from abroad into the country," he said, calling those who had set the mosque on fire "not human".
Responding to US President Donald Trump’s threat to strike Iran if protesters were killed, Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf warned that American forces and Israel would become “legitimate targets” if the United States carried out an attack.
“In the event of an attack on Iran, both the occupied territory (Israel) and all American military centres, bases, and ships in the region will be our legitimate targets,” Qalibaf said. “We do not consider ourselves limited to reacting after the action and will act based on any objective signs of a threat.”
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday accused Washington of attempting to exploit the protests and warned that authorities would not tolerate what he described as foreign-backed “saboteurs,” according to state media.
*This story was edited by Ahram Online.
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