U.S. President Barack Obama urged the Iranian government on Saturday to "stop all violent and unjust actions against its own people" as protests continued in Iran against the alleged rigging of last week's election, Reuters reported.
"The Iranian government must understand that the world is watching. We mourn each and every innocent life that is lost," Obama said in a statement. "The universal rights to assembly and free speech must be respected, and the United States stands with all who seek to exercise those rights," he said.
Obama says Iran must "govern through consent, not coercion" to gain global respect.