Jewish Representative in Iranian Parliament Slams President Pezeshkian

Homayoun Sameyah, representative of the Jewish community in parliament, accused the president of the nation's unrest and the economic pressure driving the protests: "I voted for him, but he is not keeping his promises." On reports of killing protesters in hospitals: "No one has the right to attack a medical institution"

Homayoun Sameyah, the representative of the Jewish community in the Iranian parliament, spoke out in an unusually sharp manner against President Masoud Pezeshkian, placing direct responsibility on him for the tense situation in the country and growing public anger. In an interview, Sameyah, who also serves on parliament's health committee, addressed the wave of protests, stating: "I believed in President Pezeshkian and voted for him, but the current situation happened because of him."

According to Sameyah, the main driver behind the masses taking to the streets is heavy economic pressure. "The president promised to fix the situation, and the government must act according to its promises. Economic pressure weighs on the people day after day, and this is what angers people," he said. He added a warning to the regime: "Making people angry leads to bad things in the country. Protest is a legal right, but such anger can lead to serious consequences."

Addressing troubling reports about security forces raiding hospitals and executing the wounded, Sameyah took a critical but cautious line. "A hospital is a place for treating the sick and no one has the right to attack it," he declared. When asked about the number of deaths in the clashes, he responded: "I don't know their number, but unfortunately the killing continues. They are all children of Iran and of this society."

Sameyah called on the regime to change its approach toward protesters: "When a child is angry at someone, we must support them so the anger disappears, not beat everyone. The cycle of violence may stop temporarily in the short term, but it will not be completely extinguished without addressing the root of the problem."

Alongside his direct criticism of the president, Sameyah refrained from attacking the most sensitive security bodies. When asked about the internet shutdown across the country, a measure designed to disrupt protesters' reports to the world, he chose to deflect, responding: "On this matter, it would be appropriate to ask the Supreme National Security Council."

Sameyah's words are considered particularly unusual, as minority representatives in the Iranian parliament typically toe the line with the establishment and rarely directly attack senior executive levels, and certainly do not place personal responsibility on them for violence and killings in the country.