Iranian police announced on 10 January the arrest of 100 people accused of “rioting and disrupting security” and the dismantling of two armed cells in western Iran, according to semi-official news agency Tasnim.
Police in Lorestan province arrested two cells, described as “terrorist teams.” These groups were reportedly armed with firearms and bladed weapons and intended to cause casualties during riots.
The detainees were described by police as “rioters and security disruptors” operating across several cities in the province, Tasnim reported.
According to the agency, police said they detained 100 individuals after identifying them through investigations.
“The arrest of these rioters was carried out after their identities were determined in investigations conducted by the police in Lorestan,” Tasnim wrote, citing local security officials.
In parallel, security forces said they dismantled two separate cells in the cities of Borujerd and Khorramabad.
Earlier on Friday, the intelligence service of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) described recent developments as showing “a shift in the enemy’s strategy,” defined by more clandestine efforts to undermine internal stability from within rather than attempt to subdue an enemy via direct confrontation.
According to the statement, “intelligence monitoring confirms the enemy’s shift from a direct war strategy to focusing on weakening the internal structure of the Islamic Republic through inciting riots.”
The IRGC intelligence service claimed this shift followed the failure of attempts to confront Iran militarily.
Iran faces growing unrest from citizens with economic grievances and external saboteurs seeking to inflame instability.
In early January, Iranian leader Ali Khamenei addressed the situation during a meeting with families of those killed in the recent 12-day war, as protests and what authorities described as US-backed riots spread across the country.
“Protest is a right, but protest is different from rioting,” he said, adding that protesters should be engaged “through dialogue,” while rioters “must be stopped and taught a lesson.”