“Taking into account the fact that people were detained by various security bodies, it is impossible to name the exact number [of detainees],” Sadeghi told the ICANA news agency, adding that some 3,700 people had been detained.
Several major cities in Iran, including Tehran, Mashhad, Isfahan and Rasht, have been engulfed in anti-government protests since December 28, 2017. People have taken to the streets to protest against unemployment, poverty, and the rising cost of living, as well as policies of the country’s government.
READ MORE: US, UK 'Failed' to Destabilize Iran Through Recent Protests — Supreme Leader
At least 20 people have reportedly been killed during the protests. Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said that about 42,000 Iranians had participated in the rallies.
Country’s authorities accused foreign countries, including the United States, of trying to destabilize the situation in Iran.