President offers direct talks with guilds, avoids mentioning broader protests
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Friday he is ready to speak directly with guilds to resolve their problems, but stopped short of addressing nationwide protests that have expanded beyond the initial merchants’ strikes.
“We are not willing to see our guilds face problems,” he said. “If they have a legitimate grievance and we are at fault, we will try to correct ourselves.”
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council has instructed domestic media to explicitly condemn what it called foreign interference by US President Donald Trump and to distinguish between protests over economic grievances and "violent riots", according to a document seen by Iran International.
In the directive addressed to editors and newsroom managers, the Supreme National Security Council praised outlets that swiftly reacted to comments by Donald Trump, describing his statements as interventionist and contrary to diplomatic norms.
The Council commended media organizations that framed their coverage around “national unity,” published interviews and commentary from political, academic and economic figures, and drew a clear distinction between public economic demands — including protests over currency instability — and what it labeled organized, violent disturbances.
The directive also urged media to continue reflecting people’s livelihood concerns while avoiding what it called raw, emotional or tension-fueling content. It praised outlets that, in the council’s words, sought to inform public opinion about foreign interference and hostile efforts to exploit unrest, and said calm, professional reporting that “draws boundaries with the enemy” helps preserve social cohesion and national stability.
"President Trump, thank you for your strong leadership and support of my compatriots," Prince Reza Pahlavi said in a post on his X account on Friday.
"This warning you have issued to the criminal leaders of the Islamic Republic gives my people greater strength and hope—hope that, at last, a President of the United States is standing firmly by their side."
"We're following the ongoing protests, and reports of violence, with concern," United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said on Friday.
"I call on the authorities to uphold the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly."
All individuals must be able to protest peacefully and express their grievances," he told
Families of the passengers of Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 which was shot down by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in 2020 expressed support for Iran protests, called for an end to the violent repression of protests.
In a statement on Friday, the Association of Families of PS752 Victims said strikes, protests and market closures are lawful civic acts, and condemned the use of force, mass arrests and live fire against unarmed citizens.
The group said protesters are openly calling for the overthrow of the Islamic Republic from the outset, with demands going beyond mismanagement and systemic corruption.
The families said news of protesters being killed has deepened their anger and grief ahead of the sixth anniversary of the PS752 shootdown on January 8, stressing that human lives must not be the cost of state misrule.
Citing their own experience, they warned that denial of truth, refusal to accept responsibility and impunity for perpetrators inevitably pave the way for further disasters.
The association voiced solidarity with protesters and called for an immediate halt to violent repression, transparent and independent accountability for those killed, injured or detained, the release of all detainees, and respect for the right to peaceful assembly and free expression.
