Iran's FM: unrest being orchestrated from outside

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the ongoing unrest in the country cannot be described as demonstrations, instead calling it a “terrorist war”.

“What is happening now is not protests, it is a terrorist war against the country,” Araghchi said.

Saying the situation in Iran is now “under full control,” he acknowledged that violence escalated at the beginning of the week.

“Iranian authorities possess audio recordings of voice messages sent to terrorist elements ordering them to open fire on civilians and security forces," Araghchi said.

On December 29, 2025, merchants began protesting in Tehran over a sharp decline in the value of the Iranian rial.