Calm returns after riots, deadly attacks on security forces

Iran’s national police spokesman says field observations indicate calm has returned to cities across the country following a wave of riots, as senior officials said armed groups, foreign-backed elements and terrorist actors were orchestrating violence, arson attacks and assaults on public infrastructure.

Saeed Montazer al-Mahdi, spokesman for Iran’s Law Enforcement Command (FARAJA), said on Friday that on-the-ground reports showed “general calm” in cities nationwide.

Speaking to Tasnim News Agency, he said large public gatherings earlier in the day, which he described as protests against the actions of armed and terrorist groups the previous night, had prevented further violent movements on Friday.

Correspondents also reported calm conditions across provinces on Friday night. According to provincial reports, following stern warnings from security authorities, most provinces saw no gatherings or disturbances, and security forces maintained control despite limited attempts by rioters to disrupt public order.

Armed groups, however, attacked public and private property in several provinces, causing extensive damage.

According to Tasnim, the attacks targeted both personal and state-owned assets during unrest in multiple areas. The agency said some of the attacks included mosques, adding that the assailants showed no regard for religious sites.

Three police officers were killed on Friday night in attacks on security forces during disturbances in the provincial capital Shiraz and surrounding areas.

Tasnim said funeral ceremonies for the officers will be held in Shiraz, after which their bodies will be transferred for burial to Mazandaran province, Markazi province and the city of Fasa.

Several members of Tehran’s criminal investigation police were killed during riots in the capital Thursday night.

Armed assailants opened fire with Kalashnikov rifles on personnel of the Tehran Metropolitan Police’s criminal investigation unit, killing several officers.

In the provinces, officials also reported casualties among security personnel. In Qom, provincial authorities said two members of the police were killed on Thursday night. Their funeral procession was scheduled for Saturday.

In Shushtar, two members of security forces were killed, according to local reports, which also cited damage to public property and attacks on religious sites in Khuzestan province.

A member of the Basij militia was killed Thursday night in the city of Qazvin. The incident occurred after protesters damaged and set fire to banks, mosques and street furniture before attacking fuel stations across the city.

At a fuel station on Daneshgah Street, assailants attempted to set the facility ablaze after causing damage, but were confronted by Basij members. One Basij member was beaten and later killed during the confrontation.

A local prosecutor and four members of security forces were killed during riots in the northeastern town of Esfarayen.

Ali Akbar Hosseinzadeh, the public and revolutionary prosecutor of Esfarayen, was killed during incidents late Thursday. Two police officers and two members of the Basij  force were also killed.

The deaths occurred after emergency responders attempted to reach the site of a fire during the unrest. Assailants also set fire to Esfarayen’s main mosque, a Qur’anic center focused on modesty and dress codes, and a chain retail store.

Calm was restored after Basij forces and local residents intervened, with security forces seeking to arrest those responsible and several people involved in the disturbances detained.

Iran’s prosecutor general ordered expedited judicial proceedings for those arrested, directing special courts to handle cases on an urgent basis.

He also called for compensation claims against those responsible for damages, including instigators inside and outside the country, and hostile social media networks.

The prosecutor general said those involved would be prosecuted without leniency, adding foreign regimes, including the United States and Israel, are supporting and arming terrorist actors.

Meanwhile, the US ambassador in Tel Aviv, Mike Huckabee, said Washington would strongly support protesters in Iran, while acknowledging risks associated with direct military intervention.

Senior US and Israeli officials, including President Donald Trump and prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have openly backed rioters and hired terrorists.

An Iranian government communications council member said recent riots in Iran amount to a second phase of Israel’s war against Iran and the United States is openly supporting it.

Montazer al-Mahdi said that by Thursday, at least 270 police officers had also been injured, some by pellet weapons and others by military-grade firearms.

He added that police had exercised restraint up to that point, but said that with the involvement of armed terrorist groups, law enforcement would respond “decisively and seriously” going forward.

He said limited gatherings were reported on Friday night and confirmed that several armed terrorists were killed during unrest the previous night.

In a separate statement, Montazer al-Mahdi said recent inflation, price rises and currency instability had triggered protests by shopkeepers and traders, affecting people’s livelihoods.

He said police conveyed these concerns to responsible authorities and sought to manage protests with maximum tolerance and patience, in line with professional standards.

He said the police approach had been acknowledged by social elites and the public, and that commanders had repeatedly stressed the distinction between protesters and rioters.

However, he said “people-disguised elements” were inciting youths and adolescents, exploiting emotions, and acting in coordination with foreign-based and anti-Iranian media to escalate unrest.

Montazer al-Mahdi urged families to warn young people about dangerous and unclear conditions on the ground involving foreign-backed agents.

He said that over the past 24 hours, organized and targeted actions had crossed “red lines,” including the burning of ambulances, firefighting and rescue vehicles, buses, private cars, shops, banks, hospitals and religious sites, causing serious psychological harm to public order.

He said police emergency centers received numerous calls from citizens requesting help to protect their lives and property, adding that some citizens had volunteered to accompany police to help maintain security.

He said several members of the security forces were killed, along with civilians, and that armed terrorists and operational agents linked to enemy intelligence services were also killed or arrested. He said confessions from detainees would be released.

Montazer al-Mahdi said police remained committed to protecting public safety and would pursue economic grievances through official channels, but warned that there would be no tolerance toward what he described as riot instigators.

The mayor of Tehran, Alireza Zakani, detailed violent attacks in the capital during a live interview on national television. Zakani said armed assailants targeted emergency services, including hospitals and firefighters, and burned more than 24 fire engines. He said attackers prevented firefighters from rescuing families trapped in burning buildings.

Zakani said more than 26 banks, 10 government facilities, over 25 mosques and at least 47 buses were set on fire. He said three police stations and 25 Basij centers were attacked. He described the events as unprecedented in scale and severity.

Zakani divided those involved into three groups: individuals he said were deceived and emotionally driven; criminal elements seeking looting; and counter-revolutionary actors seeking overthrow. He said legal treatment of each group differed, adding that security is a non-negotiable public demand.

He said municipal workers were restoring damaged areas to prevent prolonged disruption to city life and urged citizens not to panic over supplies, stating that essential goods were available in warehouses and markets.

Zakani said officials have acknowledged public grievances and asked for time to address them, warning that insecurity would worsen economic conditions. He said economic warfare is ongoing and foreign adversaries are exploiting social unrest.

The mayor of Mashhad said riots Thursday night caused about 10 trillion rials in damage to the city’s transport and municipal services sectors.

Mohammadreza Qalandar Sharif said around 5 trillion rials of damage was inflicted on public transport and a similar amount on urban services infrastructure.

He said 12 buses were completely destroyed and two others suffered severe damage. A fire station and its equipment were set ablaze and destroyed, while three fire engines were badly damaged and two others were rendered unusable.

Qalandar Sharif said metro services were suspended on Friday for security reasons and added that all damage had been documented and costs assessed so that relevant authorities could pursue compensation on behalf of the city’s residents.

Journalist and political analyst Mashallah Shamsolvaezin said the recent incidents, which he said involved acts of violence, damage to public property and the burning of residential homes, are part of a broader campaign against Iran.

“These disturbances are the second stage of Israel’s war against Iran,” Shamsolvaezin said, adding that Trump has recently voiced explicit support for the events.

He referred to comments by Trump, saying that if Iran responded to rioters, Washington would intervene, which Shamsolvaezin said indicated an effort to protect US operatives inside Iran. He also cited remarks by an Israeli official who has said Israel has operatives present among crowds.

Shamsolvaezin said it is unlikely that the Iranian public, which he said demonstrated unity during the 12-day US and Israeli war on Iran in June, would return to the streets months later based on calls from Trump, and asserted that hostile forces are instead driving the unrest.

He added that, in his view, a distinction has emerged between protesters and rioters, saying many demonstrators have withdrawn after witnessing acts of violence. He said the events should now be regarded as a second phase of Israel’s war against Iran.

Britain, France and Germany also issued a joint statement, criticizing Iran and supporting rioters and armed terrorists.

The three European governments, along with the United States, have imposed sanctions on Iran and are now presenting themselves as supporters of the Iranian people.

In a separate interventionist statement, the European Union criticized the actions of Iranian security forces in dealing with riots.

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