Micah Jonah
February 9, 2026
Iranian authorities have arrested four political figures, including three prominent reformist politicians, accusing them of attempting to disrupt the country’s political and social order and of acting in the interests of the United States and Israel.
State media said the arrests were carried out on Sunday as part of a wider crackdown following nationwide antigovernment protests in January.
Those detained include Azar Mansouri, head of Iran’s Reform Front, Mohsen Aminzadeh, a former deputy foreign minister, and Ebrahim Asgharzadeh, a former lawmaker. The identity of the fourth detainee has not been disclosed.
Iran’s judiciary said the group was accused of organising and leading activities aimed at destabilizing the country at a time of what it described as military threats from the United States and Israel. The judiciary also alleged the detainees sought to justify violence carried out by protesters during the unrest.
Iran’s Reform Front confirmed the arrests, saying Mansouri was taken from her home under a judicial order by intelligence forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The group said other senior members had also been summoned for questioning.
The January protests began in Tehran over worsening economic conditions before spreading nationwide and evolving into broader antigovernment demonstrations. Iranian authorities labelled the protests as riots driven by foreign interference.
The government said more than 3,100 people were killed during the unrest and rejected claims by the United Nations and international rights groups that security forces were responsible for most of the deaths. Rights groups have reported significantly higher casualty figures and said thousands of people were detained.
The arrests come amid heightened tensions between Iran and the United States, following US military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities last year and Washington’s deployment of additional naval forces to the Gulf.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has warned that any attack on Iran could trigger a wider regional conflict. However, diplomatic efforts to ease tensions have continued, with Iran and the United States holding indirect talks in Oman last week. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian described the discussions as a positive step, with further talks expected next week.
Iran’s military leadership has reiterated warnings that the region would be engulfed in conflict if Iran is attacked, while maintaining that Tehran does not seek war.
