Fact sheet Regarding the recent developments in Iran
A fact sheet from the Iranian embassy in Vienna details recent developments in Iran
Fact sheet
Regarding the recent developments in Iran
The recent developments in Iran can be categorized into four distinct phases:
Phase 1: Initial Civil Protests (December 28-31, 2025)
The developments began as localized, peaceful demonstrations primarily driven by economic grievances at the market and guild level.
Government Response: Authorities engaged directly with guild representatives and economic activists to address their concerns. Following this dialogue, certain economic demands were formally placed on the policy agenda.
Outcome: The initial wave of demonstrations subsided, giving way to a period of structured negotiations.
Phase 2: Escalation to Unarmed but Violent Protests (January 1-7, 2026)
The nature of the demonstrations shifted as new elements became involved, leading to widespread acts of public disorder and property damage, though protesters remained largely unarmed.
Government Response: Security forces maintained a posture of restraint, with their stated objective being to de-escalate tensions and prevent further violence.
Assessment: While the situation remained within the operational control of authorities, this period marked a significant transition from peaceful protest to confrontational and destructive unrest.
Phase Three (January 8-10, 2026): Escalation to Armed Terrorism and Foreign-Admitted Intervention
During this phase, peaceful demonstrations were violently co-opted by armed terrorist elements. These individuals, equipped with firearms, targeted both security personnel and innocent civilians indiscriminately.
Foreign Direction and Involvement
Substantial evidence, including intercepted communications, confirms that these operations were directed from abroad. The involvement of the United States and the Israeli regime in facilitating these acts is explicit and admitted:
- Israeli media reported the presence of Mossad agents, fluent in Persian, operating on the streets of Tehran.
- Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in a public New Year's address for 2026, directly addressed "the Iranian people on the streets and the Mossad agents alongside them," effectively acknowledging and endorsing this collaboration.
Documented Evidence from Field Investigations and Terrorists Confessions
Investigations, including admissions from apprehended terrorists, have revealed a systematic campaign of violence designed to maximize civilian casualties, destroy public infrastructure, and terrorize the population. Key documented findings include:
- Foreign-Ordered Violence: Intercepted communications show terrorists received explicit instructions from foreign contacts to fire indiscriminately into crowds, targeting civilians—including women and children—if security forces could not be hit, with the sole objective of increasing the death toll.
- Targeting of First Responders: Ambulances and fire engines were systematically attacked, with 180 ambulances and 53 fire engines damaged or destroyed over three days, severely hampering emergency response.
- Extreme Barbarism: Terrorists employed ISIS-style atrocities, including the beheading of security personnel and setting victims alight, to instill widespread fear.
- Coordinated Arson and Sabotage: A nationwide campaign of arson targeted critical civilian, governmental, and religious infrastructure, including:
- Over 53 mosques.
- 26 banks and 25 mosques in the capital alone.
- The main post office in one city—Islamabad Gharb.
- Approximately 200 private shops and residences in some cities.
- Monetized Violence: Financial records confirm payments were made for specific acts of violence, such as attacking police stations and burning government vehicles.
- Weapons Procurement and Distribution: Security forces seized more than 1,300 weapons from terrorist groups. Documented video evidence shows the organized distribution of weapons to individuals.
- Premeditated Murder of the Injured: In a particularly egregious incident, 11 injured individuals being transported to the hospital were executed by gunfire from a close distance.
Their objective was provoking foreign military intervention. This escalation aligned with explicit U.S. president’s statements conditioning military intervention on a higher casualty count. The terrorists' clear objective was to inflate the death toll to manufacture a pretext for another military aggression against Iran.
Government Response:
The Islamic Republic of Iran considers this terrorist campaign a direct continuation of the "Twelve-Day War" — the joint U.S.-Israeli military aggression against Iran in June 2025. Iran holds those who designed, commanded, and executed these attacks against innocent civilians fully responsible. We are committed to pursuing justice through all available legal channels, both domestically and in international courts, to ensure the perpetrators and their foreign sponsors are held to account.
Phase Four (Commencing January 10th): Restoration of Public Order
With the restoration of state security operations, the widespread campaign of armed violence was effectively brought under control. This phase was marked by the decisive intervention of security forces, leading to the arrest of numerous armed terrorist elements implicated in the preceding violence.
Public Sentiment and Perception of Events
National survey data indicates a clear public mandate for stability:
- Over 80% of the population expressed a desire to end the unrest and hold rioters and lawbreakers accountable.
- Regarding the origins of the crisis, public opinion points decisively to external factors. Only about 30% attributed the events primarily to domestic economic issues, while more than 70% identified foreign instigation as the principal cause.
- On January 12, nationwide public rallies were held, with citizens unequivocally condemning the violent riots and terrorist acts. Initial estimates indicate a turnout of approximately 3 million participants in Tehran alone, demonstrating a broad public mandate for peace and stability.
- In response to the fatalities inflicted by terrorist elements, the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has declared a three-day period of national mourning. This official mourning honors the memory of the innocent civilians, police officers, and security personnel who lost their lives.
Continued External Support for Unrest
Despite the cessation of violence on the ground, supportive measures for destabilization have continued from abroad. For instance, the anti-Iran foundation "Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD)" has reportedly provided the U.S. administration with a multi-pronged strategy to perpetuate pressure on Iran. Documented recommendations include:
- Military and Security Deterrence: Conducting limited military operations and targeting key domestic security infrastructure (e.g., police facilities, surveillance systems).
- Integrated Pressure Campaign: Intensifying combined financial, cyber, and covert operations to create a perception of national paralysis.
- Institutional Subversion: Encouraging defection and collapse within the state apparatus through financial inducements, and fostering divisions among officials.
- Information Warfare: Expanding unrestricted internet access as a tool for ongoing influence operations.
This phase underscores the transition from confronting overt terrorism to addressing the protracted challenge of externally supported hybrid warfare aimed at national destabilization.
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