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Iranian foreign ministry blames US, Israel for organizing riots

Unrest in Iran began on December 29 after street protests triggered by a sharp fall in the Iranian rial exchange rate, and spread to most major cities

© Anonymous/Getty Images

TEHRAN, January 18. /TASS/. Tehran blames Israel and the United States for orchestrating riots in Ira, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said.

"It is absolutely evident for us that the United States and the Zionist regime (Israel - TASS) played a role in the recent developments in Iran," he told a briefing.

A source in the Iranian government told TASS earlier that the recent riots had been plotted and organized by foreign special services and Tehran had relevant evidence.

Unrest in Iran began on December 29 after street protests triggered by a sharp fall in the Iranian rial exchange rate, and spread to most major cities. Authorities reported the deaths of 40 law enforcement officers. According to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, armed terrorists appeared among the demonstrators on January 8. The Iranian authorities blamed Israel and the United States for organizing the unrest.

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