Iran accuses Israel, Western spy agencies of plotting 'civil war'

Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abollahian has accused Israel and its Western allies of plotting a "civil war" in the protest-hit country.

Security services, Israel, and Western politicians had "made plans for a civil war and the destruction and disintegration of Iran", Amir-Abollahian wrote on Twitter on Thursday.

"Today, enemies have targeted the integrity of Iran and Iranian identity."

But, he added, they "must know that Iran is not Libya or Sudan" and that the "wisdom of our people has thwarted their plan".

His comment came after state media said 10 people, including a woman, two children and a police officer, were killed in two separate attacks by gunmen on motorbikes during protests in southern Iran.

General Hossein Salami, head of the Revolutionary Guards, said Iran was facing a "conspiracy".

"The United States, England, Germany, France, Israel, Saudi Arabia and their allies are preparing to fight God, his prophet and the martyrs," Salami said, quoted by Fars news agency.

"This is a huge conspiracy against the nation, and some people inside the country have become puppets of the enemy to destroy the Iranian nation," he added.

Unrest and deaths

Demonstrations have rocked Iran since the September 16 death of Mahsa Amini, after her arrest for an alleged breach of the country's dress rules for women.

Amini's death and the following protests have drawn international condemnation of Iran's leadership, which has struggled to suppress the unrest and blamed foreign enemies and their alleged local agents.

Police Colonel Hassan Yousefi was stabbed to death on Thursday in Sanandaj, state media reported.

A video posted by the state news agency IRNA showed protesters attacking a municipality building and other public properties in the West Azerbaijan region.

Iran was hit by a spate of attacks on Wednesday.

Seven people were killed in the southwestern city of Izeh in what state media described as a "terrorist attack".

Elsewhere, gunmen riding a motorcycle shot several members of the security forces in the central city of Isfahan, killing two people and injuring eight, according to state television.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, which state TV blamed on "rioters".