The majority of Iran’s people are unhappy with the regime’s “costly” hostility to the West, according to a former president of the Islamic Republic.

Mohammad Khatami – a reformist figure who held office from 1997 to 2005 – voiced his criticism of the current government’s foreign policy in a speech he shared with his advisers.

Highlighting the gap between Iran’s official approach and public sentiment, he said while officials see themselves as "anti-imperialist and anti-colonial" in their dealings with the West and particularly the United States, most Iranians seek a different direction.

Khatai said: “Today, we are in a situation where, if we don't say the majority of people are in favor of de-escalation in relations with America, at least we can say they are dissatisfied with the current foreign policies and the anti-Western stance of the government.”

In recent years, the Islamic Republic has established proxy groups in various Middle Eastern countries, including Yemen, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, and the Gaza Strip, providing them with financial and military resources. The groups, referred to by Iranian authorities as "resistance groups," specifically target US bases in the region.

After the October 7 attack by the terrorist group Hamas on Israeli soil, leading to a conflict in the Gaza Strip, Iran's proxy groups intensified their attacks on US and Israeli positions in the region.

Khatami also criticized the state of the country's universities, stating that due to the prevalence of a "security-military outlook," the independence of these institutions and the role of academics in Iran's development have been compromised.

Following the active participation of students and university professors in the 2022 protests, the administration of President Ebrahim Raisi, along with other security and judicial institutions, has issued expulsion, suspension, or non-renewal of contracts for dozens of university professors in recent months.