Asked by Mehr News Agency correspondent about rumors of the arrest of two French nationals or any foreign nationals in general, Montazeri said that “no, we had no such arrests.”
He made the remarks on the sideline of a local event in Tehran on Wednesday.
The Iranian government raised gasoline prices last month in order to moderate the national consumption rate, which stands at 110 million liters per day, 40 million liters per day above the maximum domestic requirement.
The move prompted some peaceful protests, but riotous elements, taking advantage of the situation, quickly entered the scene, destroying public property, setting ablaze banks and gas stations among other facilities, and opening fire on people and security forces.
Iran's Judiciary has said a number of those elements were tied to the notorious US-backed Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO) terror group, royalists as well as separatists — who were nabbed in the country’s border provinces — besides members of organized groups trained towards staging acts of sabotage.
Iran has arrested over 100 ringleaders and masterminds of the violent attacks.
MNA/ 4813189