Iranian President Hassan Rouhani accused foreign media of being behind popular discontent over the deteriorating economic situation.
Speaking during a meeting with a number of Iranian media officials, Rouhani highlighted Iranian citizens’ distancing from the local media and their preference for foreign information.
Rouhani admitted that the internal media was no longer a source of information for the Iranians, and said: “There are few countries whose people are interested in foreign media, such as Iran.”
“The media has a heavier responsibility today and I hope that this meeting serves as a good start for collective cooperation in consolidation of national interests,” he stated during the meeting.
The Iranian presidency website quoted Rouhani as saying: “The fundamental problem of the regime in Iran is not the economic, cultural and security problems, but the problem of psychological warfare.”
The president defended the nuclear agreement and played down the US withdrawal. He noted that the JCPOA has removed Iran from Chapter VII without facing a war.
He also emphasized that the United Nations acknowledged Iran’s right to enrich uranium.
