By Gloria Ogbonna
Iranian authorities in the central desert province of Yazd announced on Tuesday that police have arrested at least 139 foreign nationals in connection with the widespread anti-regime protests that erupted across the country in December.
The arrests are part of an expanding security crackdown as the Islamic Republic continues to blame unrest on foreign interference rather than domestic discontent.
Yazd police commander Ahmad Negahban told Iranian state media that the detained individuals were allegedly involved in a range of protest-related activities.
According to Negahban, the foreign nationals “played an active role in organizing, inciting, and directing riotous actions,” and in some cases were reportedly in contact with networks outside Iran.
“These individuals were not merely present at the scene,” Negahban claimed. “They were involved in planning and coordinating unrest, and some maintained communication with foreign-based networks.”
He added that a judicial investigation is currently underway and that the cases are being handled “in accordance with the current laws and regulations of the country.”
Iranian officials did not disclose the nationalities of those arrested in Yazd, nor did they provide specific details regarding the charges they face. State media likewise offered no evidence to support the allegations.
The announcement follows similar reports from Tehran, where Iranian state media said on Monday that four foreign nationals had been arrested in the capital as part of the ongoing protest crackdown. As with the Yazd cases, authorities declined to identify the detainees’ countries of origin or explain the nature of their alleged offenses.
The judiciary has adopted increasingly harsh rhetoric as the protests continue. On Tuesday, judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir warned that the regime would show no leniency toward those it accuses of involvement in the unrest.
“Those who played a role in this American sedition and supported it will not be spared,” Jahangir said, reinforcing the government’s narrative that the protests are the result of foreign orchestration rather than popular anger.
When demonstrations first broke out in December, Iranian leaders initially struck a more conciliatory tone, acknowledging public frustration over a collapsing economy, soaring inflation, and the rapid devaluation of the national currency.
Protesters voiced despair over unemployment, corruption, and declining living standards, grievances that resonated across broad segments of society.
That posture quickly shifted. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and senior officials soon dismissed demonstrators as “rioters” who needed to be “put in their place,” marking the beginning of a sweeping security response.
The regime accused the United States, Israel, and other hostile foreign powers of orchestrating the protests to destabilize the Islamic Republic.
Shortly after those accusations were made, authorities severely restricted internet access nationwide, limiting communication among protesters and blocking the flow of information to the outside world. Security forces then launched a brutal crackdown, using live ammunition, mass arrests, and widespread violence to suppress demonstrations.
The true human cost of the crackdown remains disputed, but available figures suggest an enormous toll. As of this week, the office of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian claims that 2,985 people were killed during the unrest. However, independent human rights organizations say the real number is far higher.
The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reports it has confirmed at least 6,854 deaths so far, based on documented cases. Other groups warn that even these figures may significantly underestimate the final death toll once all information emerges.
Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, director of Iran Human Rights (IHR), told Radio Farda on Monday that estimates circulating outside official channels could ultimately prove accurate.
“Our estimate, based on eyewitnesses and precise data, suggests that figures mentioned in the media such as 20,000 or 30,000 do not seem unrealistic,” he said.
As arrests mount and the regime continues to frame the protests as a foreign-backed conspiracy, critics argue that Iran’s leadership is using the narrative of external interference to justify sweeping repression and deflect attention from the deep economic and social grievances driving unrest at home.
Source Breitbart