Iranian authorities have arrested 139 foreigners in the country’s central region amid protests that began in late December, local media reported Tuesday.
The arrests were confirmed by Yazd police chief Ahmad Naghban, who said the detainees were involved in “organizing, inciting, and leading unrest, and in some cases had contacts with networks outside Iran.” Nationalities of those detained were not disclosed.
The demonstrations started on December 28 over rising living costs and later expanded into wider anti-government protests. Iranian authorities report more than 3,000 deaths during the unrest, claiming most were security personnel or civilians killed in “terrorist acts” allegedly linked to the U.S. and Israel.
