"Foreign Interference Intensifying Unrest": Iran's India Envoy To NDTV

Protests in Iran sparked by inflation have turned violent, with demonstrations calling for regime change. Meanwhile, rallies in support of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and against foreign powers were held in nearly 100 locations across Iran on Monday.

NDTV's Ali Abbas Naqvi spoke with Iran's Ambassador to India Mohammad Fathali about whether any foreign nationals or Indians were injured in the protests.

NDTV :What is the latest situation in Iran? Do you have any statistics on the number of people killed in the protests?

Ambassador: The protests initially had a peaceful character, but gradually they were steered toward violence and insecurity by foreign elements affiliated with Mossad and the United States. From the very beginning, the government announced that it is ready to listen to the demands and voices of the protesters, but it would not tolerate riots, destruction and violent acts.

What is certain is that among those who have lost their lives are both ordinary citizens and police forces. There is evidence of ISIS-like crimes, including beheadings, burning of bodies and similar brutal acts, which shows that we are not facing ordinary protesters, but rather terrorist elements affiliated with ISIS and organised criminal groups that are directed and supported from abroad.

Fortunately, the situation is now under control, and the massive gatherings held today in various cities across the country demonstrated that the people continue to support the system of the Islamic Republic and will never allow foreign countries to interfere in the country's internal affairs.

NDTV: Who are the protesters behind these unrests?

Ambassador: Alongside a segment of the population that has legitimate economic and social demands, infiltrators and foreign agents have played a prominent role in turning protests into violence. Moreover, officials of the Zionist regime, as well as the United States, have repeatedly and explicitly stated that Mossad agents were present among the protesters - an issue that, according to official statements, indicates direct foreign interference in intensifying the unrest.

NDTV: The Israeli ambassador has alleged that the Iranian people want regime change. What is your view on this?

Ambassador: These statements are essentially not worthy of a response. A regime whose prime minister is wanted by international judicial bodies as a war criminal for the killing of more than 70,000 innocent people in Gaza - most of them women and children - and a regime that, during the 12-day war, killed more than a thousand innocent Iranian citizens - by what standing does it allow itself to comment on the will of the Iranian people?

In addition, there is clear evidence showing that elements affiliated with this very regime have played a direct role in pushing the protests toward violence.

NDTV: Are all Indian citizens, who have been affected by the internet shutdown in Iran and cannot be contacted, safe?

Ambassador: Overall, the situation is under the control of the responsible institutions, and there is no particular concern regarding the security of foreign nationals. Although, due to temporary limitations and disruptions to the internet, direct contact with some individuals has become difficult. This does not mean a complete cut-off of communications or any danger to them.

We are also in continuous coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran to monitor the security and welfare conditions of foreign nationals so that, should any potential issue arise, the necessary measures can be taken in the shortest possible time.

NDTV: Have any citizens of other countries been killed or injured in these protests?

Ambassador: No, so far we have not received any reports of foreign citizens being killed or injured in the recent protests.

NDTV: Reports say that more than 200 people have been arrested. Who are these individuals - are they Iranian or foreign?

Ambassador: Those who have been arrested are rioters who, with links to foreign powers and external elements, played an active role in diverting the peaceful protests of the people and attempted to turn citizens' legitimate demands into chaos and violence. Through violent actions, they encouraged some protesting youths toward insecurity and instability.

These individuals played an effective role in the destruction of public and private property, including setting fire to mosques, government buildings, police vehicles and even the homes of ordinary people. These actions bear no relation to civil and peaceful protest and show that the primary objective of these elements was to create fear and terror, insecurity, and to strike at the country's stability, rather than to express popular demands.

NDTV: There have also been reports of the arrest of a Mossad agent. What were his future plans, and were any weapons discovered?

Ambassador: Based on confirmed information, the report of the arrest of an agent affiliated with Mossad is accurate, and this individual has been identified and detained by security agencies. He is currently undergoing interrogation, and the process of examining the dimensions of his mission and his communication network is ongoing. Security officials have announced that once the initial investigations are completed, more precise and documented information will be made available to the public.

According to reports received from security sources, various types of cold and firearms were discovered from this individual and those close to him, and the available evidence indicates that they fired shots from within the crowd of protesters. The purpose of such actions was to inflame the atmosphere, create fear and panic, and advance a "manufactured killings" scenario during the protests, in order to divert popular protests from a peaceful path and drag them into violence.

This individual was operating as part of a broader plan and in coordination with other elements affiliated with foreign intelligence services - a plan whose main objective was to destabilise the country and exploit the genuine demands of the people to advance the political and security goals of foreign actors.

NDTV: Finally, what message would you like to convey to the world, and especially to the government of India?

Ambassador: My message to the world, and especially to the government and people of India - who, like the people of Iran, have always been victims of terrorism - is that what is happening in Iran today is not merely an internal unrest or a social protest, but part of a full-scale hybrid war pursued with the direct guidance and support of the Zionist regime and the United States. The burning of mosques, the killing of innocent citizens, the burning and mutilation of security forces, and the widespread destruction of public property are precisely the same patterns we have previously seen from terrorist groups such as ISIS. Today, we are witnessing the repetition of those same ISIS-like actions.

The objective of Iran's enemies is not concern for the people, but destabilisation and the collapse of the region's security order and the alteration of geopolitical borders. This dangerous project will never be confined to Iran alone. Experience has shown that the fire of terrorism, if not contained, quickly crosses borders and engulfs all countries in the region.

In recent years, Iran stood on the front lines of the fight against ISIS and, as the initial shield, prevented the spread of this ominous phenomenon to countries in the region, Europe, and beyond. Today, we once again warn that if these terrorist acts are normalised or ignored, the risk of the spread of insecurity and violence to other countries is entirely real. Vigilance, cooperation, and collective confrontation with terrorism are today more than ever a global necessity.