Shafaq News- Tehran
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday dismissed descriptions of the recent unrest as protests, calling it a “terrorist war against Iran” and stating that security across the country is “fully under control.”
Briefing heads of diplomatic missions, Araghchi explained that the demonstrations that began on Dec. 28 —initially led by traders— were “peaceful and constitutionally legitimate,” prompting talks with organizers and remedial measures. He noted that the situation later escalated after “armed groups infiltrated rallies, turning them violent.”
Araghchi asserted that authorities have evidence showing security forces were fired upon to inflate casualty figures, citing alleged audio instructions to gunmen to shoot civilians and police, and claiming that “most of those killed were shot from behind.” He also pointed to images reportedly showing weapons distributed to demonstrators and attacks on government buildings, police stations, and businesses.
Addressing international criticism, Araghchi described comments by US President Donald Trump as interference in Iran’s internal affairs, maintaining that Tehran holds documentation alleging US and Israeli involvement in what he termed a terrorist movement. He further argued that Western states have previously used force to quell unrest and stated that Iran’s response had been restrained, stressing that the situation is now under control.
Earlier, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei accused the United States and Israel of directing the protests, portraying them as an effort to destabilize the country. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian attributed attacks on civilians, mosques, and public property to “terrorists” linked to foreign powers, urging citizens to distance themselves from the “rioters.”
While Iranian authorities have not released official casualty or arrest figures, the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported that as of January 12, at least 544 people had been killed and 10,681 arrested. HRANA also documented protests at 585 locations across all 31 provinces.
Read More: Iran’s protests between economic crisis and political contestation