Iranian Regime Intensifies Crackdown on Dissidents and Protestors

What Happened?

The Iranian regime is intensifying a harsh security crackdown against dissidents and protestors, according to The Center for Human Rights in Iran. This week, executions against those who took part in the January uprising resumed in Iran with the public execution of three alleged protestors. 

Armed patrols of Basij secret police have appeared in neighborhoods throughout Iran, and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps sent mass texts to Iranian citizens warning that ‘a blow even stronger than that of January 8th awaits those who protest.’

In January, Iranian security forces are believed to have killed tens of thousands of Iranians indiscriminately for taking part in anti-regime activities such as public protests.

Why it Matters

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) now appears to be running Iran’s government. That is a significant change from before the war launched by Israel and the U.S. Prior to the killing of Ayatollah Khamenei, the IRGC was a significant organization within Iran, but it did not control national policy or lawmaking. With the former Supreme Leader killed and the condition of the replacement unknown, the IRGC appears to have become the top authority in the Iranian regime. 

The renewed crackdown on protestors in Iran is vintage IRGC behavior. Iran has a long history of using armed force against anyone the ruling regime deems an enemy, which includes not only protestors but also writers, dissidents, and anyone who speaks out against the policies or ideology of the Iranian state.

In January 2026, a popular uprising swept Iran, representing the biggest domestic challenge to the regime in Tehran since 1979. Tehran tapped the IRGC and the Basij to respond with overwhelming violence, massacring thousands of Iranians in the streets of Tehran and other major cities. 

Mass arrests have also reportedly increased inside Iran, with more than fifty thousand believed to have been arrested since January. If those numbers are accurate, they suggest that far from being weakened, the Iranian regime is tightening its grip on power in Iran. This means the Iranian people are caught between American and Israeli bombs and IRGC bullets. That is likely the reason why no major uprising has taken place since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran.

The IRGC is an organization that mixes military and economic power, since some of the top commanders are also senior officials in key financial institutions such as banks. By combining military and economic power with a highly fanatical ideology, the IRGC is arguably the premier terrorist organization in the world, and now it appears to be in charge of the Iranian government.

How it Affects You

The IRGC strategy appears to be to use extreme violence to prevent Iranians from attempting another uprising, especially while the U.S. and Israeli attacks are ongoing. Destroying the IRGC and other Iranian security organizations from the air alone will be difficult because those groups are dispersed across the entire country. If the IRGC retains control of Iran’s government, it would be in a position to grow its power and dictate Iran’s national policies.