Iranian security forces have arrested 14 foreigners, including Austrian, American and British nationals, for involvement in anti-government protests, the semi-official Fars news agency reported on Wednesday.
The Austrian Foreign Ministry told the APA on Wednesday night that the reports “cannot be confirmed at the moment” but are asking the Iranian Embassy and the authorities in Tehran for urgent clarification.
Iran has blamed “bandits” and “protesters” linked to “foreign enemies” for the national protests that erupted after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini on 16 September.
People arrested from 14 countries
“Citizens of 14 countries, including Austria, the United States, Russia, France, the United Kingdom and Afghanistan, were arrested in the recent riots in Iran, with Afghans being the most numerous,” Fars reported, without citing a source. Fars, believed to be linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, did not say when or where the arrests were made.
The nationwide protests sparked by Amini’s death have become one of the biggest challenges facing Iran’s clerical rulers since the 1979 revolution. Tehran accuses the United States, Israel and European countries of using the unrest to destabilize the Islamic Republic.
Iranian media specifically blamed the German embassy in Tehran for the national anti-government protests. In an article on Wednesday, the Fars news agency accused the diplomatic mission of fueling the protests. However, the agency, which is said to be close to the Revolutionary Guard, has not provided any evidence. The British and French embassies were also criticized. In recent weeks, the Iranian government has accused the West of supporting the protests.