By Bongiwe Dlamini

MBABANE: Iranian authorities have arrested four people on charges of attempting to “disrupt the country’s political and social order” and working “for the benefit” of Israel and the United States during the antigovernment protests last month, Aljazeera reported.

It has been reported that, the arrests were made on late Sunday and early Monday, and included prominent reformist politicians who have recently spoken critically about the theocratic establishment, according to Iranian media.

“Those arrested were identified as Azar Mansouri, head of Iran’s Reformists Front, Mohsen Aminzadeh, a former diplomat, and Ebrahim Asgharzadeh, a former parliamentarian. Hojjat Kermani, the attorney who represents the three arrested figures, told the semi-official ISNA news agency that Javad Emam, a spokesman of the Reformists Front, was also taken from his home by security forces.

Iran’s judiciary claimed that the group was behind “organising and leading extensive activities aimed at disrupting the political and social situation” at a time when the country faced “military threats” from Israel and the US, according to the official Mizan news agency,” reads the Aljazeera report.

The individuals had done their utmost “to justify the actions of the terrorist foot soldiers on the streets”, it said.

Iran’s Reformist Front confirmed the arrests in a statement on X.

It said Mansouri was arrested from the “door of her home under a judicial order” by the intelligence forces of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

It added that the IRGC has also issued summons to other senior members, including its deputy chairman, Mohsen Armin, and its secretary, Badralsadat Mofidi. Local media said another reformist figure, Feizollah Arab Sorkhi, was also summoned.