A day after the Islamic Republic announced the arrest of a British-linked “network” implicated in the three-month protests sparked by Masa Amini’s death, Iran on Monday announced Britain’s “unconstructive role”. criticized.
Protests have dominated Iran since the death of Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish man, on September 16 after being arrested in Tehran for allegedly violating Iran’s strict dress code for women.
Tehran commonly refers to the protests as “riots” and accuses foreign enemies, including Britain, of fueling the unrest.
State news agency IRNA reported on Sunday that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the south of the country had arrested seven people, including a dual citizen, who were operating “under the direct leadership of British elements”.
Asked about their arrests at a press conference on Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said: “Some countries, particularly [Britain]played an unconstructive role in regards to Iran’s recent developments.”
“Their role was very provocative in inciting extremism and riots,” Kanani said of foreign countries.
The group, described by IRNA as an “organized network,” “led a devastating conspiracy, especially during the recent riots,” the report cites a Guard statement.
The seven people arrested in Kerman province were “involved in planning, leading, producing and acting on the ground in recent riots,” it added.
Among them were “dual nationals who were trying to flee the country,” the statement said, without elaborating.
Iran’s judiciary said last month that 40 foreigners, including dual citizens, had been arrested in a riot.
“During the recent riots, several citizens from European countries have been arrested for varying degrees of involvement in the riots,” Foreign Ministry official Kanani said on Monday.
“Consular and political information is provided for each country,” he added. “The role of citizens in a certain number of countries, especially European and Western European countries, is very clear and proven.”
Many Westerners, including dual citizens, had already been detained in Iran before protests erupted in September.
Western governments have accused Tehran of adopting a policy of “taking hostages” aimed at extracting concessions or securing the release of Iranians detained abroad.
