Iranian president says government at fault for economic woes

Iran’s President, Masoud Pezeshkian, blamed on Thursday (January 1) acknowledged that failings by the authorities were behind the crisis in Iran that has sparked protests across the country.

Several people were killed during the protests, Iranian media and rights groups said on Thursday, as the biggest protests to hit the Islamic Republic for three years over worsening economic conditions.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday (January 2) said that if Iran shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters, the United States of America will come to their rescue.

The clashes between protesters and security forces mark a significant escalation in the unrest that has spread across the country since shopkeepers began protesting over the government's handling of a sharp currency slide and rapidly rising prices.

Iran's economy has been struggling for years, chiefly because of U.S. and Western sanctions over Tehran's nuclear program. Regional tensions led to a 12-day air war with Israel in June, further straining the country's finances.

Production: Melory Ghazi/Reuters