PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran – Abuja Press Office Date: 19 January 2026   The Press Office of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Abuja issues this statement with the aim of providing accurate information and clarification regarding recent developments inside the country. This press release seeks to present documented facts concerning the events of the past days and to explain the role of certain foreign interferences, while countering misleading and biased narratives.   The recent protests began on 28 December 2025 in several Iranian cities and were primarily initiated by bazaar merchants, trade guilds, and groups of citizens with legitimate economic concerns. These peaceful gatherings were held in response to rising living costs, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, and their impact on purchasing power. Conducted within legal and professional frameworks, these demonstrations aimed to express lawful demands and draw the attention of authorities to economic challenges.   Subsequently, these peaceful protests were deliberately diverted and hijacked in an organized manner by terrorist groups and armed elements. Benefiting from external support and direction, these groups orchestrated widespread violence against citizens, security forces, and critical infrastructure. Their tactics included deliberate arson, destruction of medical facilities, attacks on law enforcement personnel, and extensive damage to urban infrastructure. The clear objective of these actions was to cause human casualties, manufacture false narratives of state violence, and create conditions conducive to foreign intervention.   According to official and documented figures, during these organized violent acts, a significant number of police and security personnel lost their lives, with some subjected to particularly brutal attacks involving deliberate arson. At the same time, numerous shops and properties belonging to ordinary citizens were set on fire, resulting in extensive damage to public infrastructure. Within just three days, 180 ambulances and 53 fire engines were directly attacked and burned. In the capital alone, 26 banks and 25 mosques, and in total 53 mosques nationwide, were set on fire. Available documents and video evidence confirm the organized distribution of weapons among violent elements, and more than 1,300 firearms were seized from armed terrorists. The pattern of these actions — including intimidation, indiscriminate destruction, and extreme violence — bears clear similarities to the well-known tactics employed by the terrorist group Daesh (ISIS).   Credible evidence and documented information indicate that the United States of America and the Zionist regime played a direct and active role in provoking, directing, and intensifying these unrests. Through financial, intelligence, and media support, these actors sought to divert peaceful protests and legitimate economic demands from their original course and transform them into organized violence and internal chaos. Public statements by officials, biased coverage by affiliated media outlets, and extensive psychological operations were all aimed at escalating instability, increasing insecurity, and exerting political pressure against the Islamic Republic of Iran. Such actions constitute a clear violation of international law and the fundamental principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states.   Iranian security forces acted with maximum restraint to maintain public order and ensure the safety of citizens, while clearly distinguishing between legitimate protests and organized violence. This responsible approach reflects the government’s commitment to protecting lives and safeguarding national infrastructure. In this context, certain temporary restrictions on internet access were implemented solely to prevent the spread of violence, curb the misuse of digital platforms by terrorist groups, and ensure public safety. It is evident that these measures will be gradually lifted as conditions return to normal.   The Iranian nation, through remarkable resilience and unity, has successfully thwarted this foreign-driven plot by clearly differentiating between legitimate economic demands and organized violence instigated by external actors, thereby upholding national sovereignty and security. While fully adhering to its international obligations, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran emphasizes that the management of domestic developments is a matter of national sovereignty and internal law, and calls upon the international community to adopt a responsible approach based on respect for non-interference.   In conclusion, the Islamic Republic of Iran reaffirms its firm commitment to preserving stability, security, social calm, and lawful reforms, and warns that any form of foreign interference will only further complicate the situation and undermine the interests of nations