WASHINGTON: The Iranian government needs to "change or leave," said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Commenting on the situatio...
WASHINGTON: The Iranian government needs to "change or leave," said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Commenting on the situation in Iran at a hearing in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he said: "The regime is probably weaker than it has ever been, and the core problem they face, unlike the protests you saw in the past, on some other topics, is that they don't have a way to address the core complaints of the protesters, which is that their economy is in collapse."
He acknowledged that the protests in Iran have subsided. "But they will spark up again in the future, because this regime, unless they are willing to change or leave, have no way of addressing the legitimate and consistent complaints of the people of Iran," Rubio believes.
Unrest in Iran began on December 29 after street protests caused by the rial’s devaluation, and spread to most major cities. The government said about 40 law enforcement officers were killed. Since January 8, according to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, armed terrorists have appeared among the demonstrators. Iran blamed Israel and the United States for organizing the riots. US President Donald Trump had previously warned that he was seriously considering using force against the Islamic republic.
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