Iranian police said they arrested four unnamed foreigners in connection with last month's unrest and recovered four homemade sound grenades from one suspect, state media reported. Authorities describe the unrest as the worst since the 1979 Islamic Revolution and have blamed foreign interference. Human rights group HRANA says nearly 50,000 people have been detained so far amid ongoing daily arrests.
Iran Detains Four Foreigners Over Recent Unrest; Homemade Sound Grenades Recovered
A member of the Iranian police attends a pro-government rally in Tehran, Iran, January 12, 2026. Stringer/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
DUBAI, Feb 2 — Iranian police said on Monday they had arrested four foreigners in connection with last month's unrest, state media reported, without disclosing the suspects' nationalities.
Police Statement: State outlets quoted police as saying the group was seized "in a raid inside their hideout" and that four homemade sound grenades were recovered from one suspect's bag.
Thousands of Iranians are believed to have been killed in the security forces' crackdown on anti-government demonstrations last month, according to reporting and rights groups. Iranian authorities have accused foreign states of fomenting the violence, calling the unrest the worst domestic turmoil since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Officials have announced daily arrests of suspected protest ringleaders. The U.S.-based rights group HRANA said on Monday that nearly 50,000 people have been detained so far amid the crackdown.
Context: The arrests come amid intense international scrutiny of Iran's response to widespread demonstrations. Independent verification of casualty and arrest figures is limited, and Iranian state media did not name the foreigners or specify the charges against them.
(Reporting by Dubai Newsroom; Editing by Peter Graff)
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