Iranian security forces have raided two Sunni schools in Zahedan and arrested tens of students from the religious minority.

Mowlavi Abdolhamid, the outspoken Friday Prayers Imam of Zahedan, denounced the attack in a tweet on Monday night, calling it a "provocative move by military and security forces" of the Islamic Republic.

He said "dozens of religious students" were arrested during the raid, which he claimed shows that provincial authorities are not genuinely concerned about the peace of the people in the province.

Halvash, a news outlet covering the province, has reported the detention of "at least 253 students."

The “pretext” for the raids was the “expulsion of foreign nations”, according to a statement from the Zahedan Seminary Teachers' Society.

The authorities of the Islamic Republic have not yet issued a response to the reports.

Over the past four decades, the Islamic Republic has imposed extensive restrictions on religious minorities in Iran, including Sunni communities.

Mowlavi Abdolhamid had previously criticized the Islamic Republic for prohibiting the establishment of Sunni mosques in major cities in Iran. He has also expressed support for the nationwide protests titled Woman, Life, Freedom over the past year, a stance that has provoked discontent from the authorities of the Islamic Republic.