Iran Arrests Several People for Waving Banned Opposition Group's Flag

Iranian authorities have arrested several people accused of appearing in a video showing individuals waving the flag of a banned opposition group. However, the exact number of people caught in the arrests has not been disclosed.

According to AFP, Sunday (6/9/2026), a video circulating in recent days shows several individuals riding motorcycles on empty streets in Iran while waving the white-and-red banner of the outlawed People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (MEK).

State television said authorities had identified and arrested “all individuals who appeared in the clip”. They were said to be “affiliated” with the MEK, without specifying the exact number.

The convoy of vehicles was also said to have passed near the city of Karaj, west of Tehran. However, it is unclear when the footage was taken.

The MEK was founded in the 1960s as a form of resistance against the Western-backed Shah of Iran. The MEK was declared illegal after the 1979 Islamic Revolution and later fought alongside Saddam Hussein’s forces during the Iran-Iraq war.

For decades, the group has pursued regime change in Iran from abroad, while Tehran accuses its members of cooperating with its arch-enemy, Israel.

Previously, war between Iran and the United States broke out on 28 February, when a US-Israeli attack killed the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with several senior military officials.

Iran retaliated by launching attacks in various regions as the conflict widened.