Iranian state media on Tuesday denied reports of an armed clash near the office of Ali Khamenei in downtown Tehran on Monday.
The exiled opposition group Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK) had earlier announced that more than 100 of its members were killed or arrested in heavy fighting in the area.
According to a statement by the group, “more than 100 Mujahids were martyred or detained from dawn until the afternoon of Monday in a series of clashes with regime forces” that began at Khamenei’s office at the time of the morning call to prayer.
Later on Tuesday, the group announced it had shared the names of 16 of its members detained during the clashes with the UN special rapporteur and was investigating the fate of “other detainees and victims.”
The semi-official Mehr News Agency wrote on Tuesday: “In a funny and staged act, four mercenaries used PVC pipes to construct something resembling a child’s toy and attempted to create noise in central Tehran in order to continue benefiting from the favors of their masters.”
The agency added that the individuals were “arrested during a regional patrol by FARAJA,” Iran’s Law Enforcement Command.
Bultan News, a media outlet affiliated with security institutions, had written in a piece on Monday afternoon: “The sound of repeated explosions last night in the vicinity of Pasteur Street, the most secure area of the capital, has raised a serious question before all officials and those concerned about the establishment.”