Iran President "Trying to Prevent War"... Indicates Willingness for Dialogue with International Community

[Asia Economy Reporter Son Sun-hee] Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on the 16th (local time), "The government tries every day to prevent military confrontation or war," and "Dialogue with the international community is difficult but remains possible."

According to local media on the day, President Rouhani made these remarks in a TV address. Amid rising military tensions with the United States following the recent downing of a Ukrainian passenger plane, this is interpreted as a conciliatory message indicating willingness to engage in dialogue with the international community. President Rouhani is regarded as a leader supported by moderates and reformists within Iran.

Regarding the current situation, President Rouhani also called for internal unity as anti-government protests erupted. In a cabinet meeting the previous day, he described the passenger plane downing incident as an "entirely unexpected mistake," adding, "Those who made the mistake did their best to protect the homeland's security, just like us," attempting to quell internal discord.

On the 8th, Iran mistakenly shot down a Ukrainian passenger plane, mistaking it for a cruise missile, causing a tragedy that claimed 176 lives. Since then, anti-government protests have spread in Iran, mainly led by university students.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.