Outgoing Iran President Says Government Not Always Truthful

Outgoing Iran President Says Government Not Always Truthful
President Hassan Rouhani speaks in the last meeting of his cabinet in Tehran, Iran, on Aug. 1, 2021. Iranian Presidency Office via AP
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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates—Iran’s outgoing president on Sunday acknowledged the Iranian regime at times “did not tell part of the truth” to its people during his eight-year tenure, as he prepares to leave office with his signature nuclear deal with world powers in tatters and tensions high with the West.

President Hassan Rouhani’s comments, aired on state television, come as officials in his government have appeared rudderless in recent months amid a series of crises ranging from the coronavirus pandemic to parching droughts fueling public protests.