He began the briefing by saying that the goals of the planners of the economic war did not succeed and “Iran remained Iran”.

“This, naturally, put a heavy strain on people’s lives. Inflation and the devaluation of the national currency were the result of unprecedented and horrific sanctions,” Rabiei said.

The government spokesman said many predicted a worse situation and the collapse of Iran, but not only Iran’s economy did not collapse, but also grew in 2020. However, he said, the lives of the people were greatly affected by the sanctions and this was a serious concern for the government.

“For these reasons, the government’s supportive policies were pursued, including the equalization of salaries of the retired, the provision of support packages to stakeholders, and increase in salaries of workers,” he explained.

The spokesman added sanctions and lack of access to resources coupled with excessive dependence on foreign revenues made the job difficult for the people and the government, he pointed out.

The people are still suffering from sanctions, he lamented.

Rabiei said, “Today, at the end of the government, I want to say that the sanctions upset the price balance of many goods in the market.”

He added, “The path we took was not wrong; we still say that moderation is the only way to succeed and overcome obstacles.”

Elsewhere in his remarks, the spokesman said that he prays for the success of the next government.

“The future government has a difficult path ahead. We should all have reasonable expectations of the future government. The next government is also under sanctions.

Sanctions are an undeniable fact. The future government will face the three challenges of the outgoing government today. Climate change and drought are real and serious. Undoubtedly, we cannot continue with the normal habits,” he stated.

Rabiei called climate change and coronavirus as “man-made extremism of nature” and challenges that the future government will face.

The psychological effects of Coronavirus and sanctions will always remain in the minds of the people, the spokesman remarked.

In addition, our experience over the past eight years suggests that the only effective way to meet these challenges is through tolerance, rationality, and hard work to overcome them,” the spokesman added.

He advised everyone to accept that the future government is the government of all the people in Iran.
“Let’s admit that the elections are over, but the foreign evils are still there, and we need a strong presence against those evils,” the spokesman added.

Raisi will be formally confirmed as president on Tuesday by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. During the endorsement ceremony, Raisi will receive the presidential mandate from Ayatollah Khamenei.

The ceremony will be attended by a number of high-ranking and mid-ranking officials as well as foreign dignitaries.

Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli will first present a report on the June presidential election in which Raisi won by a landslide. Raisi and the Leader will also deliver speeches respectively.

Two days later, Raeisi will be sworn in as president in the Majlis (parliament).

Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh announced on Sunday that dozens of delegations at the level of president, prime minister, parliament speaker, foreign minister or special envoy will visit Tehran to take part in the swearing-in ceremony on Thursday.

Khatibzadeh said the attendance of foreign officials at the ceremony demonstrates Iran’s high status and legitimacy in the world.

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Ali Rabiei added the TV network has always worked against the Iranian nation.

“This audio file was released by the spiteful [Iran International] television run by petro-dollars, and since the day it was established, this television [network] wanted Iranian people to suffer and be under sanctions,” he said on Tuesday.

“This shows the move to steal and selectively broadcast the interview was a plot,” added the spokesman.

“[Iranian] President [Hassan Rouhani] instructed the Intelligence Ministry to identify those behind this conspiracy,” said Rabiei.

“We believe the stealing of these documents is a plot against the government, Establishment, national unity, our efficient institutions on the ground, and our national interests,” he added.

“Of course, we will be waiting for Dr. Zarif to return to Iran and give the necessary explanation on the misinterpretations,” he noted.

Rabiei explained that the interview was part of a project aimed at reporting and narrating the services, actions, challenges and achievements of the two administrations led by President Hassan Rouhani, adding the project included similar discussions with Iranian ministers and vice presidents under the auspices of the Presidency’s Center for Strategic Studies.

“The complete versions of the audio-visual files and their written transcripts were to be archived in the cabinet office and classified accordingly.  An excerpt of each interview was to be archived in a research center, and then published and made available to the public with the consent of the interviewees,” he said.

“Regarding the interview with Zarif, the file was stolen and published by people whose identities are being investigated…,” he added.

Rabiei reiterated that the TV network had “selectively aired parts of a very lengthy interview with wicked intentions.”

He said the interview is, in fact, a program about the performance and achievements of, and challenges faced by the Rouhani administration recorded under the supervision of the President’s Office.

An interview was recorded on February 24 as part of an ‘oral history’ research by Iranian economist Saeed Laylaz, first leaked by the London-based television channel ‘Iran International funded by Saudi Arabia.

The Iranian government spokesman also said about the exchange of prisoners between Iran and the United States that the idea of exchanging prisoners with the United States has always been raised and the number of Iranian prisoners in the United States is more than the number of American prisoners in Iran.

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TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iran’s government spokesman says Tehran is currently neither optimistic nor pessimistic about the JCPOA talks in Vienna, but it still believes is taking the right path.

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