Tehran: Iran's police chief announced that calm has returned across the nation following a week of unrest, marking Thursday night as 'the calmest night since the unrest began,' and dismissing renewed calls for protests from outside the country, as reported by Press TV. Brig. Gen. Ahmadreza Radan stated that there were 'no gatherings reported nationwide despite calls for riots Thursday night,' adding that 'calm was restored after a week of unrest.'

According to Anadolu Agency, Brig. Gen. Radan credited the return of peace to the 'conscious presence of the people,' declaring that 'the last nail was driven into the coffin of terrorism.' Authorities indicated that the initial protests, which began over economic conditions, escalated into violent riots involving attacks on public property and security forces.

Iranian authorities reported multiple arrests related to the unrest in several provinces, including Fars, Kerman, Hormozgan, and Golestan. They claimed that weapons, explosives, and military-grade ammunition were seized during intelligence-led operations. Defense and security officials have accused the US and Israel of backing and financing the violence, allegations that have been denied by both Washington and Tel Aviv.

The anti-government protests initiated on December 28 in Tehran when shopkeepers, merchants, and small business owners staged strikes and demonstrations to protest soaring inflation, the collapsing rial, and deteriorating economic conditions. A US-based human rights group reported that at least 2,677 people were killed during the protests, and nearly 19,100 others were detained, although Iranian authorities have not yet released an official toll.

The demonstrations have since spread to multiple cities, evolving into broader expressions of anti-government discontent involving workers, students, and other groups. Iranian government officials have accused the US and Israel of backing what they describe as 'riots' and 'terrorism.'