Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian says he is telling Western diplomats that the protests in his country will not destabilize Iran. In an interview with Morning Edition’s Steve Inskeep in New York City, Amirabdollahian acknowledged the tragedy of Amini’s death, but said such incidents happen around the world and downplayed the significance of the nationwide protests. “I’m assuring them that there is not a big deal going on in Iran,” he said of his message to his Western counterparts. “There is not going to be regime change in Iran. Don’t play to the emotions of the Iranian people.” (https://www.kpbs.org/news/news/national/2022/09/27/the-protests-wont-lead-to-regime-change-irans-foreign-minister-tells-npr) Protests erupted across dozens of cities in Iran in recent days, triggered by the death of a 22-year-old woman in police custody in mid-September. The foreign minister insisted that Amini’s death is being “seriously investigated.” At the same time, Amirabdollahian cast many protests as a product of foreign media and outside agitation, though they appear to be widespread in his country. Amirabdollahian is a veteran Iranian diplomat who has been involved with long-running negotiations over its nuclear program. The U.S. is seeking to rejoin an agreement with world powers that limited Iran’s nuclear capabilities. Those talks seemed near a conclusion this year but appear to have stalled.