Iran arrests leading reformists close to the country’s president

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 3 min read 100% complete by Patrick Wintour Diplomatic editorFebruary 9, 2026 at 07:00 AM

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Iran has arrested several leading reformists, including Azar Mansouri, head of the Reformists Front, the organization that helped elect President Masoud Pezeshkian. The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps made the arrests amid rising tensions over the government's handling of recent street protests. Ebrahim Asgharzadeh and Mohsen Aminzadeh, prominent figures within the Reformists Front, were also detained. Authorities accuse those arrested of acting against national unity, aligning with the US and Israel, and justifying the actions of terrorists. The judiciary chief stated that those criticizing the Islamic Republic from within are in agreement with the Zionist regime and America. The crackdown aims to suppress criticism of the security services' response to the protests, which have resulted in a disputed number of deaths.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

United States 40% Mohammad Khatami 50% Ali Khamenei 50% Tehran 60% Islamic Iran People party 60% Mohsen Aminzadeh 70% Ebrahim Asgharzadeh 70% Masoud Pezeshkian 70% Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei 70% Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps 80% Reformists Front ×280% Azar Mansouri ×390%

Keywords

reformists 90% arrests 90% street protests 70% crackdown 70% islamic revolutionary guards corps 60% security services 50% criticism 50% political groups 40% national unity 40%