TEHRAN – Iran’s Minister of Intelligence, Esmail Khatib, attended a meeting with a number of Iranian lawmakers to brief them on a range of issues, particularly the recent wave of unrest. 

Nasrullah Pejmanfar, a lawmaker who attended the meeting, told ISNA that “this meeting was about various topics, especially the recent events of the country and the issue of currency disturbances. The lawmakers raised their concerns and the minister responded.”

The lawmaker also said that “we are trying to explain the deterring measures that are being carried out in the country to the lawmakers.”

Pejmanfar added, “Today, the most important issue is the war of narratives, and the enemy is widely spreading fake narratives. When real reports are presented, we will see that the enemy has managed to dominate people's thoughts in a part of the society. Therefore, naturally, we should be able to provide better information. The government was asked to reflect the measures taken in different sectors, especially in the economic and currency fields. God willing, we will have media management and narrative space management.”

Over the last three months, Iran has been grappling with a wave of unrest that erupted after the death of Mahsa Amini.

Iranian officials have said that the enemies are implicated in fomenting unrest in the country through various means, including Farsi-language media outlets that are mostly based in London. Iran also criticized the West for interfering in Iran’s internal affairs. 

The Iranian foreign ministry announced Thursday that Italian Ambassador to Iran Giuseppe Perrone was summoned over meddling remarks by Italian officials.

“During the meeting, the Islamic Republic of Iran conveyed its strong protest over a continuation by some Italian officials of interventionist comments and measures regarding Iran’s domestic affairs,” the Iranian foreign ministry said in a statement.

The statement added, “It was also stressed that the Islamic Republic of Iran views selective and dual approaches toward human rights as unacceptable and totally rejected, and that it is the opposite side that has violated the Iranian nation’s rights and severely harmed its interests by imposing unlawful sanctions on the country.”

It noted, “The Italian envoy was also told that the negative and irrational stances taken by some Italian officials have nothing to do with the historical background of ties between the two countries.”

According to the statement, the Italian ambassador said he would relay Iran’s protest to his government in Rome.