31/05/2026
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31/05/2026
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TEHRAN, May 31: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday criticized the country's state broadcaster, IRIB, for presenting what he described as an unrealistic picture of conditions in Iran, while workers and retirees staged protests in the southwestern province of Khuzestan over unpaid wages and economic hardships.
Speaking on Sunday, Pezeshkian said some analyses and narratives aired by the state broadcaster fail to accurately reflect realities on the ground and require serious review.
He stressed that public opinion should not be shaped by undocumented information or interpretations lacking scientific evidence.
“Truth is independent of individuals,” Pezeshkian said. “In the language of science, legitimacy is defined by evidence, reasoning and documentation.”
His remarks came as municipal workers and Social Security retirees gathered in the city of Shush in Khuzestan province to protest deteriorating living conditions, low pensions and delayed payments.
Municipal workers said they had not received two months of wages and were owed several months of insurance contributions. Retirees, meanwhile, voiced concerns over rising inflation, poverty, inadequate pensions and insufficient access to healthcare and welfare services.
The demonstrations took place amid intense summer heat in Khuzestan, one of Iran’s hottest provinces.
The protests underscore ongoing economic pressures facing many Iranians as the government continues to grapple with inflation and broader financial challenges.
