"Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Monday that Tehran possesses ‘extensive evidence’ indicating US and Israeli involvement in violent anti-establishment protests in the country, which have reportedly claimed hundreds of lives. “We have audio recordings of messages sent from outside the country to these terrorist elements, telling them: open fire while you are among the protesters,” Araghchi said during a press conference. He said the aim was to increase casualties, among police officers and civilians alike, to pave the way for US intervention. “Israeli media outlets are full of reports claiming they are busy planning operations inside Iran,” he added. The remarks come after US President Donald Trump threatened ‘very strong’ military options against Iran. “Our security forces are fully in control of the situation. We hope other countries do not make miscalculations,” Araghchi warned, labelling the protests ‘an extension of the 12-day war’ and an attempt to ‘bring chaos to Iran’. The foreign minister claimed that documents confiscated from detained protesters revealed they were paid 80 million tomans ($1,900) to attack each police station and burn government vehicles, and 50 million tomans ($1,200) to set places on fire. “The money that was paid has also been seized and documented. We also have videos showing them firing at people and police forces, as well as videos showing them distributing weapons,” Araghchi said. Giving details of the damage, he said that between January 8 and 10, around 200 shops were burnt in one market, while 53 mosques were set ablaze across the country, along with ambulances and buses. “This is completely strange, because no Iranian attacks or burns a mosque,” he said. Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) has claimed that at least 648 protesters, including nine under the age of 18, have been killed, while Iranian authorities say more than 100 of their officers have died in the uprising, figures that could not be independently verified. On Friday, Donald Trump told Iran's authorities they "better not start shooting, because we'll start shooting too", having previously warned that he could intervene following any potential crackdown. Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian announced economic plans to deal with the 'people's demands' on Sunday, but also accused the US of trying to 'sow chaos and disorder'. Iran has seen widespread demonstrations since late December, beginning in Tehran and later spreading to other cities, driven by deteriorating economic conditions and the sharp decline in the value of the Iranian rial against the US dollar. "