Iran arrests 412 over recent anti-government protests in southwest

ISTANBUL

Iranian authorities have arrested 412 people in connection with recent anti-government protests and unrest in the southwestern city of Dezful, a local police commander said on Thursday.

The arrests “followed demonstrations and clashes that resulted in damage to government facilities and public property, including acts of arson,” Col. Ehsan Bardia, the police chief of Dezful, said in comments carried by the semi-official Mehr News Agency.

He said police identified and arrested “the main organizers and instigators” of the protests in the city.

Bardia said security intelligence units, working in coordination with judicial authorities, carried out “surprise operations” that led to the identification and arrest of 412 people allegedly linked to the unrest.

Police also arrested 19 people described as key leaders and 21 others accused of spreading calls for protests on social media, Bardia added. Those detained are accused of involvement in violent acts, including setting fire to banks and religious centers, attacking a traffic police facility and firing at security forces, he said.

According to the report, police also seized weapons and equipment allegedly used during the unrest, including four military and sporting firearms with ammunition, 10 bladed weapons such as swords and knives, more than 10 Molotov cocktails and other flammable materials.

Authorities also confiscated four cars and eight motorcycles that were allegedly used to transport people and equipment.

Protests swept several Iranian cities in late December and continued for nearly two weeks, triggered by a sharp decline in the value of the local currency and a deepening economic crisis. President Masoud Pezeshkian has acknowledged public dissatisfaction linked to the country’s economic conditions.