English subtitles for clip: File:President Obama's Remarks on Iran at His Press Conference (with Arabic Subtitles).webm

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THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon, everybody.

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Today, I want to start
by addressing three issues,

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and then I'll take your questions.

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First, I'd like to say a few words
about the situation in Iran.

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The United States and the international
community have been appalled

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and outraged by the threats, the beatings,
and imprisonments of the last few days.

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I strongly condemn these unjust actions,

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and I join with the American
people in mourning

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each and every innocent life that is lost.

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I've made it clear that the United States
respects the sovereignty

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of the Islamic Republic of Iran,

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and is not interfering
with Iran's affairs.

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But we must also bear witness

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to the courage and the dignity
of the Iranian people,

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and to a remarkable opening
within Iranian society.

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And we deplore the violence
against innocent civilians anywhere

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that it takes place.

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The Iranian people are trying
to have a debate about their future.

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Some in Iran --

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some in the Iranian government,
in particular,

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are trying to avoid that debate
by accusing the United States

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and others in the West of instigating
protests over the election.

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These accusations are patently false.

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They're an obvious attempt
to distract people

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from what is truly taking place
within Iran's borders.

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This tired strategy of using old tensions
to scapegoat other countries

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won't work anymore in Iran.

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This is not about the United
States or the West;

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this is about the people of Iran,

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and the future that they --
and only they -- will choose.

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The Iranian people 
can speak for themselves.

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That's precisely what's happened
in the last few days.

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In 2009, no iron fist is strong enough
to shut off the world

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from bearing witness
to peaceful protests [sic] of justice.

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Despite the Iranian government's efforts
to expel journalists and isolate itself,

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powerful images and poignant
words have made their way to us

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through cell phones and computers,

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and so we've watched
what the Iranian people are doing.

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This is what we've witnessed.

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We've seen the timeless dignity

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of tens of thousands
of Iranians marching in silence.

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We've seen people of all ages
risk everything to insist

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that their votes are counted
and that their voices are heard.

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Above all, we've seen courageous women
stand up to the brutality and threats,

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and we've experienced the searing image of
a woman bleeding to death on the streets.

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While this loss is raw
and extraordinarily painful,

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we also know this:

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Those who stand up for justice
are always on the right side of history.

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As I said in Cairo, suppressing ideas
never succeeds in making them go away.

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The Iranian people have a universal right
to assembly and free speech.

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If the Iranian government seeks

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the respect
of the international community,

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it must respect those rights
and heed the will of its own people.

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It must govern
through consent and not coercion.

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That's what Iran's
own people are calling for,

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and the Iranian people will ultimately
judge the actions of their own government.