DUBAI, January 12. /TASS/. Tehran has evidence of US and Israeli involvement in the terrorist acts of rioters, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said.
"We have a large amount of documents proving that both the US and Israel are involved in the terrorist activities that have taken place in Iran in recent days," he pointed out at a meeting with chiefs of foreign diplomatic missions in Tehran.
The top Iranian diplomat added that ex-US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo "has also admitted that agents of [Israel’s intelligence agency] Mossad were guiding the terrorist movement together with rioters." "We will investigate the issue, but those whose statements contributed to a rise in casualties are responsible for these developments," Araghchi pointed out.
"Western countries have condemned our police instead of terrorists. They are the ones who failed to denounce the genocide of more than 70,000 people in the Gaza Strip and the death of over 1,000 Iranian citizens by the hands of the US and Israel. Today, they are backing terrorists in Iran," he stressed.
On December 29, 2025, merchants began protesting in Tehran over a sharp decline in the value of the Iranian rial. On December 30, university students joined the unrest, which engulfed the majority of big cities. The protests peaked on the night of January 8, when at least 13 civilians, including a three-year-old child, were killed as a result of rioters’ actions. The authorities also announced the death of 38 law enforcement officers.
Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani said that rebels had burned down 25 mosques, and damaged 26 banks, three medical centers, and ten government buildings, along with over 100 fire trucks, buses, and ambulances. The Iranian authorities designated the rioters as terrorists, blaming Israel and the US for orchestrating the unrest.