Iranian security officials say more than 100 people have been arrested across several provinces in connection with recent riots that authorities claim were driven by foreign interference, including by the United States and Israel. The developments were reported by Press TV, Iran’s state-run television network, citing security sources, police officials, and senior government figures.
According to reports carried by Press TV and the Tasnim news agency, security forces in Lorestan province detained more than 100 individuals accused of involvement in riots and acts of insecurity in multiple cities. Police said the arrests followed coordinated operations involving law enforcement, military units, and intelligence agencies. Authorities also announced that two alleged “terrorist teams,” made up of four and seven members, were dismantled in the cities of Borujerd and Khorramabad. The groups were said to be armed with firearms and bladed weapons and accused of planning violent acts and fatalities.
Officials praised public cooperation and urged citizens to continue reporting suspicious activity through police emergency lines and intelligence hotlines operated by the Ministry of Intelligence and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps. Similar developments were reported in North Khorasan province, where a security source told Tasnim that key figures behind recent unrest in the provincial capital, Bojnourd, had been arrested following investigations into disturbances.
That source claimed the detainees had direct links to foreign institutions and organizations involved in organizing and directing riots. According to the report, those arrested were allegedly in contact with intermediaries tied to foreign intelligence services and coordinated vandalism and disruption. Confessions cited by authorities reportedly included plans to fabricate fatalities and accuse the Islamic Republic of killing young people, with the stated aim of destabilizing the country rather than pursuing peaceful protest.
Senior officials echoed these claims. Constitutional Council spokesman Hadi Tahan Nazif said foreign interference had transformed legitimate economic grievances into violent riots. Speaking at a press conference, he offered condolences for those killed during the unrest, including members of the security forces, and said a Constitutional Council election supervisor had been killed in Qazvin. Nazif referred to “hidden hands” behind the violence and accused foreign actors of responsibility for past bloodshed, including deaths during the 12-day war in June.
Authorities also reported widespread damage to emergency and public services. Tehran Fire Department chief Ghodratollah Mohammadi said that during two days of unrest, 43 fire engines were damaged and eight destroyed. Firefighters were allegedly blocked from responding to emergencies, forced out of vehicles, and attacked, while one fire station in Tehran was damaged and looted. Mohammadi added that fire engines were also damaged in Isfahan and Ahvaz, warning that replacing the equipment—much of it imported—would be costly and time-consuming. He said emergency calls to the fire service doubled during the riots, while roughly half of Tehran’s firefighting missions could not be carried out.
In Gilan province, Chief Justice Majid Elahian said a courthouse in Rasht was set on fire, temporarily halting judicial services. He also reported that mosques, copies of the Qur’an, shops, banks, and a clinic were burned during the unrest, resulting in the deaths of three nurses. Elahian said arrests were continuing and warned that those leading the violence would face severe punishment, again blaming the United States and Israel for directing events.
Press TV also reported that Farajollah Shooshtari, the son of martyred IRGC commander Noor Ali Shooshtari, was killed in what was described as a terrorist attack in Mashhad amid the unrest. Shooshtari was identified as a cultural and social activist.
According to Iranian state media, the violence followed weeks of economic protests that began peacefully, including demonstrations by shopkeepers in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar. Officials and state outlets say those protests were later exploited by foreign intelligence agencies seeking to advance a “regime change” agenda. Reports described heavily armed rioters attacking security forces, setting fire to shops, buses, mosques, and other public and private property, particularly on Thursday and Friday.
State media coverage also highlighted a wave of reactions on social media condemning the violence and blaming foreign intelligence agencies. Posts cited by Press TV framed the unrest as an externally driven effort to destabilize Iran, with some users warning that those involved would face arrests and trials. Other posts referenced remarks by Iran’s Leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, who warned against foreign-backed destruction and accused rioters of acting to please hostile foreign powers.
At the same time, images and accounts circulated showing large demonstrations after Friday prayers across Iran, with crowds denouncing the riots and rejecting what they described as U.S. and Israeli interference. State media portrayed these gatherings as evidence of public resolve to resist foreign pressure and restore stability.
Iranian authorities say security operations will continue until order is fully restored, insisting that while economic grievances may be real, violence, arson, and attacks on civilians and public services will not be tolerated.
