DUBAI, January 10. /TASS/. Iranian law enforcement officers have detained more than 100 people accused of taking part in mass riots and using weapons against civilians and police officers, Murad Moradi Karnachi, head of the Baharestan district in southwestern Tehran province, said.
"One hundred people who violated public order, including the leaders of the riots in this area, have been detained. They used firearms and bladed weapons against citizens and law enforcement officers," he told the Tasnim news agency.
On December 29, 2025, merchants began staging protests in central Tehran over a sharp decline in the value of the Iranian rial. The Fars news agency reported that protesting business owners were urging their colleagues to close their shops and join the movement. On December 30, students from Tehran universities joined the unrest. On January 2, Mehr reported that a group of unidentified masked individuals armed with guns appeared on the streets of Ilam province. In recent days, clashes between protesters and law enforcement agencies have intensified, mainly in the western provinces.
The riots peaked on January 8, when at least 11 civilians were killed, including a child. Several security officers were also killed. Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani said the rioters set fire to 25 mosques, looted 26 banks, three hospitals, ten governmental buildings, 48 fire engines, 42 buses and ambulance vehicles, as well as 24 apartments.