Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on February 18 offered a rare apology to citizens on behalf of the Islamic Republic as he dwelled on issues that may have caused the outbreak of social discontent that triggered nationwide demonstrations at the turn of the year in Iran.

State-run Mehr news agency quoted the country’s ultimate authority as saying officials must work harder at establishing justice. “People have complaints about some of the country’s existing issues” and officials were “well aware”, he said. Citizens’ criticisms were “not only directed at the government, the parliament and judiciary. Maybe some also criticize me”, Khameini added.

Speaking to an audience of Iranians from the northern city of Tabriz, the supreme leader acknowledged that despite progress the past decade, the Islamic Republic is “behind where justice is concerned”. “Our need is to apologise to people and to God”, he also remarked.

There is continuing debate in Iran and among Iran analysts over how much of the anger that resulted in street unrest was caused by economic hardship and how much by the lack of progress in giving people greater civil rights.

Double-digit inflation, high youth unemployment and high government spending on state-linked religious and ideological institutions have caused outcries.

Nevertheless, Khamenei said Iranians were still behind “the Islamic and revolutionary regime which was established on the back of their sacrifice”. During last week’s 39th anniversary of the Iranian revolution hundreds of thousands of people took part in state-organised rallies to celebrate the occasion.