Iran calls for unity after angry protests over downed plane

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani signs a book carrying the names of the victims of the Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752, following a cabinet meeting in Tehran. Picture: HO/IRANIAN PRESIDENCY/AFP

One week on from the disaster, Rouhani called for “national unity” in remarks broadcast live on state television. “If there was a delay” by the armed forces to release information about what happened, “let them apologise”, he said. “In Iran ... people can state their views. Sometimes they state their views in excessive ways, sometimes the reaction is excessive,” he said in New Delhi. “But the fact of the matter is, [over the] last few nights we’ve had people in the streets of Tehran, demonstrating against being lied to for a couple of days.”

Rouhani also said Iranians want “diversity” as he urged the electoral authorities to refrain from disqualifying would-be candidates for a February 21 general election. That would mark a major shift in a country where all candidates are vetted for their loyalty by constitutional watchdog, the Guardian Council.

Since then, the US has relentlessly slapped waves of sanctions on Iran as part of a “maximum pressure” campaign. Washington says the campaign is aimed at reining in Tehran’s missile programme as well as its “destabilising behaviour” in the region. Rouhani blamed the Americans and their allies for causing “insecurity” across the Middle East. Their “mistakes”, he said, include Soleimani’s killing, interventions in Iraq, Libya and Yemen, and the US decision to pull out of the nuclear deal and re-impose sanctions on Iranian oil.

South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Khamenei says Iran delivered a 'slap' to America's superpower image, calls Trump a 'clown' | IOL NewsLeading Friday prayers, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Iran delivered a 'slap to the US's image as a superpower' with its missile strikes.
Source: IOL - 🏆 46. / 51 Read more »

Iran can take fight beyond its borders, Khamenei says after US strike | IOL NewsThe Revolutionary Guards can take their fight beyond Iran's borders, the supreme leader said, responding to the US killing of a top general.
Source: IOL - 🏆 46. / 51 Read more »

Bodies of Ukrainian victims of downed plane repatriated from IranPresident Volodymyr Zelensky, Prime Minister Oleksiy Goncharuk and other officials attended the solemn ceremony at Kiev's Boryspil airport.
Source: ewnupdates - 🏆 30. / 53 Read more »

Trudeau urges Iran to send downed jetliner's black boxes to FranceCanadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged Iran to hand over black boxes from last week's downed airliner to France. Do those nitwits still have the recorders? Good gawd
Source: eNCA - 🏆 49. / 51 Read more »

Iran ready to hand over downed plane’s black boxes to UkraineIran is to grant a team of investigators from Iran and Canada access to the recorders
Source: BDliveSA - 🏆 12. / 63 Read more »

Canada to pay lump sum to families after plane shot down by Iran | IOL NewsThe Canadian government will give $25,000 to families of the citizens and permanent residents who died in the downing of a Ukrainian jetliner in Iran.
Source: IOL - 🏆 46. / 51 Read more »