Iran Guards arrest UK-Iranian dual nationals over protests

Iran's Revolutionary Guards arrested seven people with links to Britain on Sunday, including some who held dual nationality, over anti-government protests that have rocked the country, according to a statement published by state media.

"Seven main leaders of the recent protests related to the UK were detained by intelligence services of the IRGC [Revolutionary Guards] including dual nationals who were trying to leave the country," the statement read.

The British foreign ministry said it was seeking further information from Iranian authorities on reports that British-Iranian dual nationals had been arrested in Iran.

The reported arrests follow unrest triggered by the 16 September death in detention of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian who was arrested for wearing "inappropriate attire" under Iran's strict religious dress code for women. Amini's Kurdish first name can be spelt "Zhina" or "Jina".

The protests, in which demonstrators from all walks of life have called for the fall of Iran's ruling theocracy, has posed one of the biggest challenges to the Shia Muslim-ruled Islamic Republic since the 1979 revolution.

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The government has blamed the unrest on demonstrators bent on destruction of public property and says they are trained and armed by enemies including the United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia.

(Reuters)