Fars News Agency reports 14 foreigners, including U.S. citizens, arrested for their alleged involvement in Iran’s unrest

The Iranian government has accused the United States and some European countries of attempting to undermine the Islamic Republic by exploiting the protests.

According to the semi-official Fars news agency, Iranian security forces arrested 14 foreign nationals, including Americans, Britons, and French, for participating in anti-government demonstrations, on Wednesday.

No comment has been made by Iranian officials.

Iran’s foreign enemies are said to have paid thugs to orchestrate nationwide protests after the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who died in custody in September.

“Citizens of 14 countries, including the United States, Russia, Austria, France, the United Kingdom, and Afghanistan, have been arrested in recent riots in Iran, of which Afghan nationals are the most numerous,” Fars reported, without citing a source, according to Reuters.

It is unclear when and where the arrests were made, according to Fars, an outlet believed to be linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.

It is not immediately clear whether the reported arrests included nine foreigners who Tehran said last month had been detained for their role in the protests.

The nationwide protests sparked by Amini’s death in the custody of Iran’s morality police have turned into one of the boldest challenges to the country’s clerical rulers since the 1979 revolution. Even though the protests don’t look close to overthrowing Iran’s Islamic Republic, protesters have demanded its demise.

The Islamic Republic has accused the United States and some European countries of attempting to destabilize the country by exploiting the unrest.

iran embassy Azerbaijan Jamshid Sharmahd