Iran government defends crackdown, cites terrorist elements in riots

TEHRAN, Iran: Iran’s Foreign Affairs Ministry has accused foreign-backed armed groups of orchestrating violent attacks during nationwide unrest that followed economic protests earlier this month, saying security forces seized weapons and arrested dozens of alleged fighters across multiple provinces.

The ministry said demonstrations that began on 28 December 2025 among Tehran’s Grand Bazaar shopkeepers over economic grievances turned violent after 8 January, when armed groups allegedly infiltrated crowds and launched coordinated assaults on police, public facilities and civilians.

According to the statement, the groups sought to “spread fear,” provoke young protesters, storm police stations to seize weapons and escalate casualties to draw international attention. Iran linked the violence to foreign intelligence services and exiled opposition groups, without providing evidence.

Officials accused assailants of using “ISIS-like” tactics, including beheadings and indiscriminate shooting.

The government claimed at least three people were beheaded, and described drive-by machine-gun attacks that it said killed “dozens,” though it gave no independent casualty numbers.

The statement also highlighted the death of several civilians and security personnel, including a 21 year old law student, and accused rioters of attacking a women’s hospital in Tehran.

Iran provided no independently verifiable evidence in the statement, and foreign governments have not publicly commented on the allegations.

The unrest followed sharp currency depreciation and economic grievances that sparked initial demonstrations before the government attributed subsequent violence to foreign interference.