TEHRAN - Iranian officials and citizens must maintain unity so the country can deal with its external and internal problems, Expediency Council Chairman Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said here on Saturday.

Thus, circumspect and principled measures should be taken, Rafanjani stated at an EC meeting.
He also urged everyone to heed the guidelines set by Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.
To deal with the current situation in the country, everyone must follow the Supreme Leader’s guidelines, abide by the Constitution, and obey the law, lawbreakers must be dealt with properly, the current emotional atmosphere must be replaced with a rational atmosphere, freedom of speech must be allowed, and suitable responses must be made to constructive criticism, he observed.
If this is done, the foreign media outlets, which always pursue the policies of the hegemonistic powers, will be marginalized and the people will opt for domestic media outlets, he said, adding that internal issues, including disagreements between political factions, should also be covered by domestic media outlets.
He went on to say that justice must be served in the cases of those who were arrested during the post-election unrest.
People off all positions must obey the law, and officials and media outlets should cooperate to create unity in society and should not fan the flames of tension, he stated.
He expressed hope that the Expediency Council could help the country achieve this important objective.
Rafsanjani also felicitated all Muslims on the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan