Iran Arrests Reformist Politicians Amid Crackdown on Protests

Iranian authorities have arrested at least four senior figures from the Reform Front, a coalition of reformist and moderate politicians. Among those detained were Azar Mansouri, the front’s secretary-general, and senior members Ebrahim Asgharzadeh and Mohsen Aminzadeh. The Reform Front’s spokesperson, Javad Emam, was also taken into custody, while at least two other members were summoned to Tehran’s Evin prison for questioning. The arrests follow last month’s unrest the deadliest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution and are part of a broader campaign of intimidation by authorities aimed at deterring protests. Tehran has blamed the violence on “rioters and armed terrorists” allegedly supported by Israel and the United States. The judiciary’s media outlet Mizan described the detainees as “four important political elements supporting the Zionist regime and the United States,” but gave no further details. Mansouri’s lawyer, Hojjat Kermani, said the reasons for the arrests remain unclear, noting the Reform Front has not issued recent statements regarding the protests. The Reform Front has previously criticised the government, warning that Iran faces “incremental collapse” without fundamental reforms. Kermani said the current arrests are not related to prior judicial cases tied to those statements.