Iran announced the arrest of 40 foreigners who allegedly took part in recent anti-regime protests.

The detained foreign nationals will be tried according to the country's domestic laws, Iran's Judiciary Spokesman Massoud Satayshi told a press conference on Tuesday.

He also confirmed that two French individuals arrested earlier this month remain in custody, hinting that a ruling on the case might be imminent.

Iranian authorities accuse the French citizens of being spies. At least seven French individuals are believed to be held by Iranian forces.

Twenty-one people were arrested so far in November and charged with disrupting the economic system, Satayshi said on Tuesday.

UN condemns 'disproportionate force'

The UN meanwhile condemned the country's deadly crackdown directed at protesters, which were ignited by the death of 22-year-old Jina Mahsa Amini.

UN spokesman Jeremy Laurence cited human rights chief Volker Turk as saying that the rise in deaths, including among children, and the tougher security response "underline the critical situation in the country."

The UN urged Iranian authorities to address the demands for equality, dignity and rights, rather than "using unnecessary or disproportionate force to suppress the protests," Laurence told reporters on Tuesday.

"The lack of accountability for gross human rights violations in Iran remains persistent and is contributing to the growing grievances," the French AFP news agency quoted him as saying.

Iran deploys more troops to Kurdish regions

The UN comments followed an intensified security crackdown on protests in Kurdish regions over the weekend. Kurdish rights groups and a prominent Sunni cleric critical of Iran's government warned of the Iranian forces' escalation on Sunday, saying the regime deployed troops.

Six were killed over the weekend, as per UN figures, including two 16-year-old boys. The UN has also counted 40 people killed in mostly Kurdish cities during the past week.

"Significant numbers of security forces have also been deployed in recent days," Laurence said. 

"Overnight, we received reports of security forces responding forcefully to protests in several mainly Kurdish cities, including Javanrud and Saqqez."

'Overwhelming support' for a new regime in Iran

A new study by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change is suggesting that there is currently "overwhelming" support for a new regime in Iran.

The institute's leading Iran expert, Kasra Aarabi, told DW that the current protests are no longer about reform.

"This is about the downfall of Khamenei's regime," he said. 

The study also shows that 70% of Iranian men and 74% of women are opposed to mandatory hijabs. Aarabi said the figures weren't surprising for anyone who has been closely monitoring the country in recent years.

 "And the significant point," added Aarabi, is that "84% of those who are against the compulsory hijab also want regime change."

Ever since the death of 22-year-old Amini in September, protests against the government across the country have spread.

At Amini's funeral, the words "women, life, freedom" were first sung. They became a rallying cry across Iran as civil unrest unfolded. Hundreds of protesters are reported to have been killed and thousands more detained.

rmt/dj (AFP, Reuters)