Iran arrests 139 foreigners over protest involvement in Yazd

Iranian authorities announced that 139 foreign nationals were detained during protests in Yazd Province, located in central Iran.

According to sources within the government, the detainees were actively involved in organising, provoking, and leading protest activities, exploiting the social situation and local grievances, Caliber.Az reports per Iranian media.

In some cases, the individuals were linked to foreign networks. Authorities have not yet disclosed the countries of citizenship of the detained foreign nationals.

Protests in Iran began in late December 2025 amid a severe economic emergency — soaring inflation, a collapsing currency and widespread discontent with declining living standards triggered shop closures and strikes in Tehran before demonstrations spread to cities across most provinces. 

The unrest quickly moved beyond economic grievances into broad anti‑government demands for political change, drawing large and sustained crowds despite escalating state repression.

Iran’s security forces, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and police, responded with a massive crackdown employing live ammunition, tear gas, metal pellets, and beatings, and carried out raids on civilian areas and hospitals, resulting in thousands of deaths and injuries. 

Independent groups reporting globally have verified thousands of protester fatalities, with rights monitors confirming at least about 6,800 deaths and tens of thousands more still under review, while Tehran’s own figures acknowledge over 3,000 fatalities.

The government also imposed one of the longest internet blackouts in its history in an effort to restrict information flow, complicating outside verification of events, and carried out large‑scale arbitrary arrests — rights organisations estimate tens of thousands detained, including minors and professionals such as doctors who treated injured protesters.

Amid this turmoil, Iranian authorities continue wide‑ranging sweeps, arresting both citizens and, as recently reported, dozens of foreign nationals allegedly involved in organising unrest; the regime attributes the chaos to “foreign interference,” while international observers and rights groups characterise the response as brutal repression of largely peaceful dissent.

By Jeyhun Aghazada