2026-01-20T13:02:52+00:00
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Shafaq News–
Tehran
Iranian
security forces on Tuesday detained 76 people in two coordinated operations
targeting unrest-related activity in central and southern Iran, the
semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported.
In Isfahan,
the Intelligence Department arrested 73 individuals it called “terrorist
mercenaries,” accusing them of involvement in violent acts during a “US–Zionist
[Israeli] plot.” The suspects, it explained, carried out sabotage operations
that included arson attacks on public and private property, damage to
provincial infrastructure, and the killing of security personnel and civilians,
including women and children.
On Kish
Island, authorities captured three leaders of unrest, accusing them
of vandalizing public property, attacking police officers with bladed weapons,
burning Iran’s national flag, and damaging urban facilities.
Earlier
today, Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence, quoted by Fars News Agency,
reported that security and intelligence forces had detained hundreds of
individuals nationwide whom it described as key instigators of unrest, citing
the burning of mosques, public buildings, and buses, and attacks on police
stations that resulted in the deaths of six security personnel and civilians.
Since late
December 2025, Iran has faced widespread unrest, sparked by deteriorating
economic conditions and evolving into nationwide protests challenging clerical
authority. While tensions have eased in recent days, the Human Rights Activists
News Agency estimates nearly 4,000 deaths, figures that remain
difficult to verify amid prolonged internet disruptions. Tehran has accused the
United States and Israel of fomenting instability, with Foreign Minister Abbas
Araghchi asserting that demonstrations began peacefully before turning violent
due to the “infiltration of armed groups.”
Read more: Escalation without Collapse: Washington’s options
against Tehran