TEHRAN - Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian has said certain rioters in Iran, who were provoked by foreign TV networks, destroyed public property and assaulted citizens and law enforcement forces, behaviors that are unacceptable everywhere in the world.

Amir Abdollahian made the comments during a phone conversation on Thursday with his Finnish counterpart Pekka Haavisto in which they discussed developments in bilateral relations, the Vienna talks to revive the 2015 nuclear deal and lift anti-Iran sanctions, the conflict in Ukraine, the recent unrest in Iran, and foreign meddling in Iranian internal affairs.

The senior diplomat said that the Islamic Republic of Iran places high value on women's rights and that there are many women working extremely well in the country's scientific, academic, medical, educational, administrative, and technical fields.

The government views making demands in a peaceful manner as the people's legal right, thus it has always responded to such requests, he added. According to the country's constitution, peaceful protest is backed by the establishment.

However, some rioters, led and incited by foreign Persian language TV networks, began to destroy public property and attack citizens and police forces with weapons and knives, which are not permitted elsewhere in the world, Amir Abdollahian pointed out.

Given the conflict in Ukraine, he noted that some countries have sent arms and ammunition to that country, but the Islamic Republic has not sent any weapons to Russia for use in the conflict with Ukraine. 

Tehran holds the view that only politics can settle a dispute and that providing any kind of military assistance will delay efforts to reach a settlement, he noted.

He brought up the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol, arguing that the U.S. government had banned the Internet and the president's private social media sites had been restricted for some time. Had the European ministers then voiced concerns about an internet blackout?

The Finnish foreign minister, for his part, expressed hope that an objective and unbiased report on the death of Iranian citizen Mahsa Amini would be released.

Regarding the Islamic Republic's role in Afghanistan, Haavisto praised Tehran's positive efforts in hosting Afghan refugees, expecting that Iran can play a role in encouraging the Taliban to respect human rights and women's rights.

He also stated that Russia's “special operation” in Ukraine violates the United Nations Charter, stating that Ukraine, as an independent country, has the right to defend itself.