Outgoing Iran president says government not always truthful

DUBAI – Iran's outgoing president connected Sunday acknowledged his federation astatine times “did not archer portion of the truth” to its radical during his eight-year tenure, arsenic helium prepares to permission bureau with his signature atomic woody with satellite powers successful tatters and tensions precocious with the West.

President Hassan Rouhani's comments, aired connected authorities television, travel arsenic officials successful his authorities person appeared rudderless successful caller months amid a bid of crises ranging from the coronavirus pandemic to parching droughts fueling nationalist protests.

After appearing conscionable days earlier to beryllium lectured by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei astir their failures successful the atomic negotiations, Rouhani's remarks appeared aimed astatine acknowledging the problems his authorities faced successful its waning hours. President-elect Ebrahim Raisi, a protégé of Khamenei, volition beryllium inaugurated Thursday.

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“What we told radical was not contrary to reality, but we did not archer portion of the information to people,” Rouhani said astatine his past Cabinet gathering arsenic president. “Because I did not find it utile and I was acrophobic it would harm nationalist unity.”

He did not elaborate connected what helium meant by his remarks. However, during his tenure, Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard mistakenly changeable down a commercialized airliner and killed 176 radical onboard successful January 2020, which the authorities refused for days to admit until Western nations went nationalist with their suspicions.

Rouhani, a comparative mean wrong Iran's theocracy, insisted helium and his officials did their best.

“If we person a defect, we apologize to the radical and inquire them for forgiveness and mercy," Rouhani said.

He pointed to the country's 2015 atomic woody with satellite powers, which saw Iran hold to bounds its enrichment of uranium successful speech for the lifting of economical sanctions. However, that woody present sits successful tatters aft then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew America from the accord successful May 2018.

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Rouhani blamed galore of Iran's existent problems connected Trump's decision, which saw the worth of the Islamic Republic’s rial currency crash. The president said that portion Iran had plans to upgrade its equipped forces aft the expiration of a U.N. arms embargo successful October 2020, it couldn't owed to its fiscal woes.

“We did not person the wealth to bargain owed to sanctions and not selling oil, but the declaration is wholly ready,” helium said.

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