The Iranian central bank's top foreign exchange official has been arrested, the judiciary said Sunday, a day after he was sacked and as tensions rise ahead of reimposed US sanctions. Ahmad Araghchi, who was a vice-governor at the bank in charge of forex, was arrested along with several other unnamed individuals including a government clerk and four currency brokers, said judiciary spokesman Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejeie in a statement, according to state broadcaster IRIB.
The arrests come amid heightened tensions in the run-up to the reimposition of US sanctions on Tuesday, following Washington's withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal. Journalists reported a heavy build-up of riot police on Sunday night, including at least one armoured personnel carrier, in the town of Karaj, just west of Tehran, that has seen days of often-violent protests. State media said protesters attacked and tried to burn down a seminary in the area on Friday night, and that at least one person was killed, allegedly by demonstrators.