Iran, which has blamed "foreign adversaries" for protests sparked by the death of a woman in morality police custody, said on Tuesday 40 foreign nationals had been arrested for their role in the unrest.
The Islamic Republic has been gripped by nationwide protests since the death of 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini in morality police custody on Sept. 16 after she was arrested for wearing clothes deemed "inappropriate."
"So far, 40 foreign nationals have been arrested for their involvement in the protests," Iran's judiciary spokesman Masoud Setayeshi told a televised news conference, without revealing their nationalities.
"So far, 40 foreign nationals have been arrested for their involvement in the protests."
Iran's judiciary spokesman Masoud Setayeshi
Tehran has blamed foreign enemies and their agents for orchestrating the protests, which have turned into a popular revolt by Iranians from all layers of society, posing one of the boldest challenges to the clerical rulers since the 1979 revolution.
Iran arrests 14 foreigners in October
Iranian security forces have arrested 14 foreigners, including American, British and French citizens, for their involvement in anti-government protests, the semi-official Fars news agency said last month.
Iran has blamed "thugs" linked to "foreign enemies" for the nationwide protests that erupted after the death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini on Sept. 16.
"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.
In September, Iran said it had arrested nine European nationals for their role in the nationwide protests.