'Iran’s President Blames Mismanagement, Not U.S.'

 Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has delivered one of the clearest acknowledgments yet by a sitting Iranian leader that public anger reflects domestic failure rather than foreign pressure. Speaking during a visit to Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, Pezeshkian said dissatisfaction among citizens should be laid squarely at the feet of the government. “If people are dissatisfied, we are to blame—not America or anyone else,” he said. “It is our responsibility to manage resources properly, improve efficiency and productivity, and solve the people’s problems.” Iranian media reported the remarks amid ongoing protests and economic strain, framing them as a directive to officials to stop deflecting responsibility outward.

The statement matters less for its novelty than for its clarity. Iranian leaders frequently cite sanctions and U.S. policy as the primary drivers of inflation, shortages, and social pressure. Pezeshkian explicitly rejected that reflex. “If people are not satisfied, this is our fault,” he said, adding that officials should not seek refuge in blaming Washington or unnamed external actors. The emphasis signals an internal diagnostic: governance, not geopolitics, is the binding constraint.

“Do Not Be Wasteful”

Pezeshkian anchored his critique in practical examples of waste and mismanagement observed firsthand. He described a single room where “14 lights” were left on when “one would have been enough,” and heating so excessive that a window had been left open, squandering energy. The anecdote was not incidental. It illustrated his broader point that inefficiency compounds scarcity in an economy already under stress. Quoting the Qur’an, he reminded officials: “Eat and drink, but do not be wasteful; for Allah does not love the wasteful.”

The president framed resource discipline as both an economic and moral obligation. He warned that routine excess—whether in energy use, procurement, or budgeting—undermines the state’s capacity to deliver services. In a country of more than one administrative layer and thousands of public buildings, such small lapses scale quickly. His message was directed at governors, managers, and financial deputies, naming each role explicitly to underscore accountability across the chain.

Governance as Moral Test

Pezeshkian cast the crisis in ethical terms, linking administrative failure to religious duty. “According to the Qur’an, if we fail to solve the people’s problems, we will end up in hell,” he said. The language was stark and deliberate. By invoking scripture, he reframed governance failures as a test not only of competence but of faith and national responsibility. “The challenges we face are a test—for our managers, for us as Muslims, and as Iranians,” he said, calling for an awakening and a “new course” for the country.

The appeal blended civic nationalism and religious obligation, a familiar Iranian rhetorical pairing, but with a notable shift in emphasis. Rather than mobilizing resistance to external pressure, Pezeshkian urged internal reform, arguing that determination must replace hopelessness. He said Iran could secure a “bright future” if officials committed to building collectively and correcting failures rooted in poor management.

Policy Signals on Currency Controls

Beyond rhetoric, Pezeshkian pointed to a concrete policy change: the government has decided to end a system that provided importers of certain goods with foreign currency at a state-set, lower exchange rate. While details were limited, the announcement signals a willingness to confront distortions that have long fueled rent-seeking and inefficiency. Preferential rates, applied unevenly across sectors, have been criticized for encouraging waste and arbitrage rather than productivity.

The move aligns with his broader critique. Subsidized access to hard currency, like excessive energy use, reflects a mindset that tolerates leakage. By highlighting both behavioral lapses—14 lights in one room, an open window in winter—and structural fixes, Pezeshkian sketched a governance agenda centered on discipline. The test, as he framed it, is execution. Responsibility, he insisted, “is ours.”

https://clashreport.com/world/articles/irans-president-blames-mismanagement-not-us-1ks083hka9t