Hyderabad Iran Consulate claims protests hijacked by outsiders
HYDERABAD: The Consulate of Iran in Hyderabad on Thursday, January 15, said evidence indicated that foreign-backed agents were converting economic protests in Iran into violent riots, as the death toll from the unrest crossed 2,600 within 13 days.
In a post on X, the Consulate said Article 27 of Iran’s Constitution guarantees citizens the right to hold public assemblies and demonstrations without bearing arms. “These [foreign] agents have sought to provoke foreign powers into military intervention by escalating violence and causing further loss of life,” the Consulate said.
The post included a video of over two minutes, alleging that destruction during the protests was driven by foreign actors, including Israel’s Mossad and the United States.
Claim of leaked audio
Meanwhile, a local Iranian television channel aired what it described as a “leaked conversation” between a Mossad agent and an Iranian operative.
In the audio, the Mossad agent allegedly outlines plans to provoke violence during protests, including arming individuals posing as demonstrators and shooting people including protesters in the head to create chaos.
“Do you know how to handle a gun?” the agent asks. When the response is affirmative, he says: “Improve your shooting. We will send you a weapon, a handgun, so that during riots and unrest and protests you hit the head.”
“Kill the person in the middle of the demonstration. We want to target them. Target the security forces,” he adds.
The authenticity of the audio could not be independently verified.
Protests show signs of easing
Videos of demonstrations have largely stopped emerging from Iran, indicating a possible slowdown amid heavy security force deployment in major cities.
In the capital Tehran, witnesses told the Associated Press that recent mornings showed no signs of bonfires or street debris. Gunfire, which had been intense for several nights, has faded.
US President Donald Trump made vague remarks on Wednesday, leaving unclear what action Washington might take against Iran. He told reporters he had been informed that executions planned in Iran had stopped, without providing details.
The comments followed Trump’s earlier message to Iranian protesters that “help is on the way” and that his administration would “act accordingly” over Tehran’s crackdown.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also sought to lower tensions, urging the US to pursue negotiations. “Between war and diplomacy, diplomacy is a better way,” Araghchi told Fox News, adding that Iran had “no positive experience” with the US but still preferred talks over conflict.
The shift in tone came hours after Iran’s judiciary chief said authorities must act swiftly against thousands detained during the unrest. Activists warned that executions could begin soon. The Human Rights Activists News Agency said at least 2,615 people had been killed in the crackdown, warning the toll was likely to rise.
The figure exceeds casualties from any other round of unrest in Iran in decades and recalls the upheaval surrounding the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
