TEHRAN - Iranian Jewish lawmaker Siamak Moreh Sedgh has said that the United States and reactionary countries in the region will not be able to achieve their objectives through fomenting unrest in Iran.

“The reactionary countries in the region, the Zionist regime and the United States imagine they can reach their objectives through creating chaos in Iran. The reality is that such actions will not benefit them, because the Iranian people are united and have national integrity and counter acts of sabotage provoked by foreign countries,” he told Fars news agency in an interview published on Saturday.

Pointing to recent protests in some cities in Iran which followed increased in petrol prices, the Jewish lawmaker said it is the people’s right to protest, however he condemned riots.

Protests erupted in some cities against the government’s measure in rationing gasoline and substantially increasing its price. The protests turned violent with reports of clashes between security forces and certain elements vandalizing public property.

Hooligans and elements opposed to the Islamic Republic system attacked security forces, set state buildings on fire and damaged public and private property.

Ali Shamkhani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), has said that anti-revolutionary elements and the Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO or MEK) were behind the unrest.

President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday expressed his warm appreciation to all walks of life, whose vigilance and patience foiled plots by the enemies who tried to create chaos in the country.

“The rioters (not protesting people), were organized, well-ordered and armed. They acted based on a plan orchestrated by the regional reactionary regimes, the Zionist regime of Israel and the United States,” he said.

NA/PA