Amid growing pressure on him to take a tough line on the ongoing protests in Iran, US President Barack Obama has said Washington stands behind those who are seeking justice and expressed concern over the statements coming from the Iranian leadership.
"We stand behind those who are seeking justice in a peaceful way," Obama told the CBS news in an interview.
"Already we have seen violence out there. I have said this throughout the week, I want to repeat it, that we stand with those who would look to peaceful resolution of conflict and we believe that the voices of people have to be heard, that that's a universal value that the American people stand for and this administration stands for," he said.
Referring to the statements coming from Iranian leadership, Obama explained: "I'm very concerned, based on some of the tenor and tone of the statements that have been made, that the government of Iran recognises that the world is watching."
Arguing that this is not an issue of the US or the West versus Iran but that of the Iranian people, he said: "The fact that they are on the streets, under pretty severe duress, at great risk to themselves, is a sign that there's something in that society that wants to open up".
The President said US respects "Iran's sovereignty and we respect the fact that ultimately the Iranian people have to make these decisions."
How they approach and deal with people who are — through peaceful means — trying to be heard will send a pretty clear signal to the international community about what Iran is and is not, Obama said.
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Obama hoped that the world understands this is not something that has to do with the outside world; this has to do with what's happening in Iran. "I think ultimately the Iranian people will obtain justice," he said.
When asked about the view point that he is not very assertive on this issue, Obama added: "The last thing that I want to do is to have the United States be a foil for those forces inside Iran who would love nothing better than to make this an argument about the United States. That's what they do. That's what we're already seeing".
The President said "We shouldn't be playing into that". "There should be no distractions from the fact that the Iranian people are seeking to let their voices be heard," he underlined.