Iran's president decries public distrust

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian has addressed the public's growing distrust in the government amid an economic crisis and energy shortages that have fueled widespread despair among the population

Tehran Province completely shut down its schools and government offices on Saturday due to a natural gas shortage, with similar closures reported in two-thirds of the country. Since September, Iran’s currency has lost 33% of its value following serious setbacks in Lebanon and Syria.

Pezeshkian said that he avoids meetings and gatherings to refrain from making promises that cannot be fulfilled. "I cannot promise something I cannot do," he said. This comes while his government is planning to move Iran's capital to this province.

Officials are not oblivious to the problems, as Iranian media frequently report on public grievances about pollution, poverty, and resource shortages. Many officials openly acknowledge these crises, often sounding more like opposition figures than leaders who have been at the helm of the country for decades.

Tehran’s major challenges, including water shortages and pollution, have led the Pezeshkian administration to propose relocating the capital to the shores of the Sea of Oman. During his visit to the region on Thursday, Pezeshkian noted the complete lack of infrastructure in the area.

Iranian ecologist Hossein Akhani, writing on the Khabar Online website, criticized the government’s plan to relocate the capital, arguing that Iran has failed to build even a single livable small town in the past half-century.