Iranian President Apologizes to People Affected by Protests, Unrest

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Feb. 11 apologized to those affected by the unrest that rocked the country in December 2025 and January.

Pezeshkian made the comments at a ceremony marking the 47th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution of 1979, which brought the current theocratic regime of the Ayatollahs to power.

The United States and Iran are currently engaged in discussions about Tehran’s nuclear program.

“As President, I apologize to the Iranian nation for all deficiencies and shortages. I declare that the 14th government has exerted its full efforts to resolve the people’s problems with strength and determination,” Pezeshkian said, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).

“We are ashamed and feel obligated to serve all who were affected by these incidents—from martyrs in the police, IRGC, and Basij, to those who, knowingly or unknowingly, were misled and did things that shouldn’t have happened.”

As of Feb. 10, at least 6,984 people, including 214 “government-affiliated forces,” have died following the protests triggered by soaring inflation and the collapse of the Iranian rial, according to the Virginia-based Iranian human rights organization HRANA.

HRANA relies on supporters in Iran to cross-check its information. It previously stated that the figures were based solely on “verified individual reports” and are likely to be much higher.

About 52,623 people have been detained during the protests, according to the organization. The Epoch Times is unable to verify the figures.

“We are fully prepared to solve the country’s problems. But the solution is not burning or spreading false rumors,” Pezeshkian said.

He also expressed gratitude toward Arab nations in the Middle East for seeking “peaceful and diplomatic solutions.”

‘Ready for Verification’

Pezeshkian said Iran has chosen the diplomatic path and is not seeking nuclear weapons.

“We have repeatedly stated that we do not seek nuclear weapons and are ready for any form of verification,” he said. “The U.S. and Europe, through their positions and rhetoric, have built a wall of mistrust and are preventing dialogue from reaching results. … We are fully engaged in peaceful cooperation with regional countries, because we believe the region’s problems can only be solved by the countries of the region, not foreign powers.”

U.S. President Donald Trump is hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Feb. 11 amid ongoing tensions with Iran. It will be Netanyahu’s seventh visit since Trump took office in early 2025.

Netanyahu arrived in Washington on Feb. 10 and met with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner at Blair House, the president’s official guest residence.

During the meeting, Witkoff and Kushner briefed the Israeli leader on the first round of talks with Iran held in Oman on Feb. 6, according to The Jerusalem Post.

Trump recently directed a buildup of U.S. military forces in the Middle East and has threatened new strikes on Iran if a deal can’t be reached between Washington and Tehran.

Netanyahu said in a Feb. 7 post on X that any negotiations with Tehran should include limitations on ballistic missiles and an end to support for the “Iranian axis.”

Emel Akan contributed to this report.