Iranian gov't is holding meetings to identify unrest's causes: official

TEHRAN, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Iranian government has started holding meetings to identify the root causes of the recent unrest in the country and prevent its recurrence, an official has said.

In a post late Sunday on social media platform X, Abbas Pazoki, deputy for communications in the office of Iran's first vice president, said the meetings are being held at Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's order.

The first meeting of the relevant headquarters responsible for reviewing and analyzing the incidents was convened earlier on Sunday, attended by First Vice President Mohammad-Reza Aref, some cabinet members and other officials, Pazoki said.

"The meetings are focused on the precise identification of the unrest's root causes, bridging the gaps and preventing those incidents' recurrence," Pazoki noted.

The first vice president will hold meetings with the country's university professors, elites and representatives of different social strata to directly hear criticisms, opinions and solutions, he said, adding that the process will continue.

Weeks of protests erupted across Iran from late December to January over the sharp depreciation of the rial. Initially peaceful, the demonstrations escalated into clashes that caused casualties and damage to mosques, government buildings, and banks. Tehran has blamed the unrest on the United States and Israel. Enditem