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Outgoing president apologises to Iranians for hardships

August 1, 2021 at 5:07 pm

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani speaks after the last cabinet meeting of the 12th government of Iran in Tehran, Iran on August 01, 2021 [Iranian Presidency/Anadolu Agency]

Iran’s outgoing President Hassan Rouhani on Sunday apologised to the Iranians for the hardships they endured during his eight-year administration, reports Anadolu Agency.

Speaking during his final cabinet meeting, Rouhani acknowledged that his government shared “only part of the truth” with the people as he was afraid it would “harm national unity.”

“What we told people was not contrary to reality, but we did not tell them part of the truth,” he said, without elaborating.

Rouhani’s reformist government will complete two terms in office this week, with the new administration led by former judiciary chief and top conservative Ebrahim Raeisi set to be sworn in on Thursday.

The outgoing president, who maintained very little contact with the people during his eventful tenure, asked for “forgiveness” from the Iranians for “any shortcomings and flaws”.

Rouhani also blamed some factions, in a salvo at Conservative-controlled parliament, for disrupting his efforts to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, also known as JCPOA, saying “it is useless to talk about it anymore”.

READ: Blame games in Iran amid efforts to revive nuclear deal

“According to the framework set by the Supreme Leader, we could have implemented the JCPOA and lifted the sanctions, but we got stuck somewhere else,” he said.

Rouhani’s government has faced blistering criticism over the COVID-19 outbreak in the country and economic mismanagement, especially after the US walked out of the nuclear deal in 2018 and reinstated sanctions on Iran.

“If one wants to judge this government, they should consider the economic war, COVID-19, and the drought,” the outgoing president said in his defense.