Iran’s government has been judged unfairly despite running the country through two years of war and carrying out major infrastructure and energy projects, First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said on Saturday, according to state media.
“The government has been engaged in a full-scale war for two years,” Aref said. “Despite managing wartime conditions, it also carried out numerous infrastructure and long-term projects, but the government’s performance is being judged unfairly.”
Aref said President Masoud Pezeshkian’s administration had inherited shortages, debts to the private sector and imbalances across several parts of the economy.
He said the government had also sought to repair damage to key infrastructure from recent fighting while dealing with economic pressure and shortages.
Aref urged government officials to avoid public disputes and conflicting figures that could give people the impression of divisions within the administration.
“Government officials should not speak against the government’s strategy, argue with each other in the media or present contradictory statistics,” he said.