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.”

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