Iranian government officials have denounced the protests, accusing the protestors of having conspired with 'enemy forces'. Governor of Tehran Mohsen Mansouri tweeted, “The main elements of the initial core of the gatherings in Tehran tonight were fully organised, trained and planned to create disturbances in Tehran."
The protests were sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini on Friday, who died in a hospital after the morality police arrested and beat her for not wearing her hijab and trousers 'properly'. Since then, many have protested the brutality of the morality branch of the Iranian police, and have taken to the streets to protest the government.
People have been protesting since Amini's death, despite reports of at least three casualties taking place during the protests. According to Kurdish human rights group Hengaw, three deaths were confirmed in the Kurdistan region of the country. On Tuesday, Kurdistan governor Ismail Zarei Koosha confirmed that three people had died, but blamed it on a 'conspiracy by enemies'.
Some Iranian lawmakers are also of the opinion that outside forces and media organizations backed by Saudi Arabia are behind the scale of the protests. However, this controversy comes at a sensitive time, as Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi is currently in New York to address the UN General Assembly Session for the first time. Human rights groups in New York are protesting his presence, and demanding inquiries into what they call 'state-sanctioned violence'.