Iran arrests four foreigners for ‘participation in riots’ amid ongoing crackdown

State TV doesn’t disclose suspects’ nationalities, claims one was carrying four homemade stun grenades, as authorities conduct mass arrests following anti-regime protests

By AFP 2 February 2026, 4:56 pm

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In this frame grab from video obtained by the AP outside Iran, a masked demonstrator holds a picture of Iranian opposition figure Reza Pahlavi during a protest in Tehran, Iran, January 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)

TEHRAN, Iran — Iranian authorities have arrested four foreigners of undisclosed nationalities for “participation in riots,” state television said Monday.

“These individuals were apprehended during a raid on their hideout” in Tehran province, national television said, without specifying the date of the arrests.

“During a search of one suspect’s bag, four homemade stun grenades, used during the riots and unrest in the area, were discovered,” it added.

Thousands of Iranians are believed to have been killed in a crackdown on anti-government protests last month. Iran’s authorities blame foreign countries for fomenting the violence, the worst domestic unrest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The authorities have been announcing daily arrests of suspected protest ringleaders. The US-based rights group HRANA said on Monday that nearly 50,000 people have so far been arrested.

Iranian authorities accuse Israel and the United States of having had a hand in “riots.”

Iranian Americans hold pictures of slain protesters outside the White House in Washington, DC, January 16, 2026. (SAUL LOEB / AFP)

NGOs based abroad have accused the security forces of intentionally targeting protesters in a movement that rocked the Islamic Republic in January.

On January 24, the official IRNA news agency reported that two foreigners had been arrested in western Iran.

Activists and some Western governments accuse Iran of using a deliberate strategy of hostage-taking to extract concessions from the West.

The protests led to soaring tensions with the United States, with US President Donald Trump threatening military action if Iran executed demonstrators. The US has since bolstered its naval presence in the region, while Trump continues to threaten military action if Tehran doesn’t agree to a deal to curb its nuclear and ballistic missile program.

Agencies and Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.