Iran's government has launched a sweeping crackdown on reformist leaders close to President Masoud Pezeshkian, arresting several high-profile figures in an apparent bid to quell growing protests. The arrests have deepened tensions over the handling of the recent street demonstrations, where at least 3,000 people were killed, according to official government figures – a figure widely disputed by human rights groups.
Pezeshkian, who won the presidency with 16.4 million votes in June's election, has been struggling to assert his authority since taking office. His supporters have set up an inquiry into the protests, but it is unlikely to be critical of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which has been accused of brutally suppressing dissent.
Among those arrested were Azar Mansouri, secretary general of the Islamic Iran People party; Ebrahim Asgharzadeh, head of the Reformists Front's political committee; and Mohsen Aminzadeh, a deputy foreign minister under former president Mohammad Khatami. Several other reformist leaders have been ordered to appear at police stations this week.
The government has claimed that those arrested are "in league with the US and Israel" and are accused of promoting surrender and perverting political groups. Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, head of the judiciary, described protesters as "wretched and miserable" who will "suffer losses" if they continue to speak out against the government.
The arrests have sparked widespread condemnation from human rights activists, including Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi, who was sentenced to seven years in prison for her activism. The talks between the US and Iran over Iran's missile programme are set to resume this week, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lobbying President Trump to include the issue in the negotiations.
The government's actions have reinforced concerns that reformist leaders will face increasing repression under Pezeshkian's administration. With several prominent reformists now behind bars, it remains to be seen whether they will find a way to challenge the government from within or turn to more radical forms of protest to bring about change.
Pezeshkian, who won the presidency with 16.4 million votes in June's election, has been struggling to assert his authority since taking office. His supporters have set up an inquiry into the protests, but it is unlikely to be critical of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which has been accused of brutally suppressing dissent.
Among those arrested were Azar Mansouri, secretary general of the Islamic Iran People party; Ebrahim Asgharzadeh, head of the Reformists Front's political committee; and Mohsen Aminzadeh, a deputy foreign minister under former president Mohammad Khatami. Several other reformist leaders have been ordered to appear at police stations this week.
The government has claimed that those arrested are "in league with the US and Israel" and are accused of promoting surrender and perverting political groups. Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, head of the judiciary, described protesters as "wretched and miserable" who will "suffer losses" if they continue to speak out against the government.
The arrests have sparked widespread condemnation from human rights activists, including Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi, who was sentenced to seven years in prison for her activism. The talks between the US and Iran over Iran's missile programme are set to resume this week, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lobbying President Trump to include the issue in the negotiations.
The government's actions have reinforced concerns that reformist leaders will face increasing repression under Pezeshkian's administration. With several prominent reformists now behind bars, it remains to be seen whether they will find a way to challenge the government from within or turn to more radical forms of protest to bring about change.
3k people dead, cmon! these reformist leaders r not traitors, they're jus tryna bring about change 4 the country 
like wot does he care? dont get me wrong, i'm all 4 peace but lets not forget, pezeshkian's admin is jus tryna sweep this whole thing under the rug
This crackdown on reformist leaders is really unsettling – it feels like a massive overreaction to the growing discontent among the Iranian people 
. The fact that they're accusing these individuals of being "in league with the US and Israel" is laughable, as if that's a valid reason for arrest 
. It's clear that the government is more concerned about maintaining its grip on power than addressing the legitimate grievances of its citizens 
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. I'm not surprised to see human rights activists speaking out against these actions, especially given the history of repression in Iran 
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. We need to see a stronger commitment to accountability and transparency from the government, rather than relying on intimidation and repression 
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at least we got ppl like narges mohammadi standing up for human rights, even if its not easy for her 
i mean, who can blame protesters for speaking out against the government? especially when there were over 3000 people killed in those demos 
it's also concerning that Netanyahu is trying to use his lobbying skills to include Iran's missile program in talks... like, can't they just talk about these issues without resorting to politics? 
i feel so bad for those arrested and their families 
I hope the international community does something about this. The US and Israel aren't going to take sides with Iran on this one. It's time for some serious repercussions.
I don't think they deserve to be treated like this. The government needs to listen to the people and make things right.
I'm literally shaking with rage right now! Can't believe what's happening in Iran!!! 
This is just another excuse to silence dissenting voices and maintain control.
I mean, Narges Mohammadi was sentenced to prison just for speaking out against human rights abuses?!? That's the kind of systemic oppression that needs to be spoken out against.
