Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, has alleged that the United States and Israel played a direct role in recent unrest, claiming the violence was planned abroad to provoke foreign intervention.
Speaking about clashes during protests in early January, Araghchi said Iran possesses audio recordings, documents and detainee confessions that he claims show armed elements were instructed to open fire among demonstrators to increase casualties. According to his account, the aim was to cross a threshold that would trigger external intervention after public statements warning action if deaths mounted.
He further alleged that detained individuals confessed to receiving large cash payments to attack police stations, government vehicles, markets and public infrastructure, including ambulances and buses. Mosques were also targeted during the unrest, which Iranian officials say is inconsistent with domestic protest patterns.
Araghchi described the violence between January 8 and 10 as an extension of a prior confrontation, portraying it as part of a broader foreign-backed destabilisation effort. He said seized funds, videos and weapons form part of the evidence Iran intends to pursue through domestic and international legal channels.
Iranian authorities say security forces have now regained control and warned other countries against what they described as miscalculations. The allegations, which have not been independently verified, add to already heightened tensions between Iran, the United States and Israel, raising concerns about further escalation in the region.
