Iranian Authorities Arrest 139 Foreign Nationals Amid Anti-Government Protests

Kathmandu. Local media reported on Tuesday that Iranian authorities have arrested 139 foreign nationals from the central part of the country during ongoing anti-government protests.

Iran's Tasnim News Agency, quoting the police chief of Yazd city, stated that the arrested individuals were involved in organizing, inciting, and directing the protests, and were engaged in criminal activities in contact with networks outside the country.

However, the nationality of the arrested individuals was not disclosed, but during the review of cases related to the protesters, it was concluded that 139 of those arrested were foreign nationals, said Police Chief Ahmad Negahban.

Tehran has acknowledged that more than three thousand people have died during the protests, attributing the violence to "terrorist acts" and stating that most victims were security force members and innocent bystanders.

The US-based non-governmental organization, The Human Rights Activists News Agency, has confirmed 6,854 deaths, the majority of whom were protesters killed by security forces. Meanwhile, other rights groups have warned that the death toll could be even higher.

Iranian officials claim that the protests, which included killings and vandalism instigated by the United States and Israel, began as peaceful demonstrations.