Iran Confirms Distribution of Weapons to Anti-Government Demonstrators

JAKARTA - Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi admitted that he had a record of the distribution of weapons that were distributed to demonstrators in the bloody demonstrations that broke out in 92 cities in his country.

In his statement to foreign diplomats in Tehran on Monday, January 12, quoted by Al Jazeera, Araghchi said the authorities would soon release the evidence, including confessions from the detained rioters.

On the one hand, authorities in Iran continue to "closely follow" the ongoing anti-government mass action on the streets.

According to him, violence in mass action in Iran today has declined after increasing during the weekend.

Over the past two weeks, Iran has been rocked by a wave of demonstrations. The mass action was initially triggered by Iranian people's protests against rising living costs in the country, then developed into a harsh criticism of the theocratic system that has been in place since the 1979 revolution.

People in Iran were then unable to access the internet. However, a number of news related to the demonstrations still spread out of Iran by showing massive demonstrations over the past three nights.

Araghchi stressed that the bloody demonstrations in Iran were "triggered and encouraged" by foreign elements. Currently, he continued, Iranian security forces are continuing to investigate and "hunt down" those responsible.

The semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday, January 12, that as many as 109 Iranian security personnel were killed during the bloody demonstrations.

Iranian authorities have not confirmed the number of demonstrators killed in the mass action. However, opposition activists based abroad say hundreds of demonstrators have been killed.

The Iranian government has declared three days of national mourning for the "martyrs" who died during the protests, including members of the security forces.