While the security forces have been weakened by US and Israeli attacks, Iranians say that they are still exercising strict control over the cities, especially at night.
Iranian security forces are launching a new crackdown on any signs of domestic uprising, setting up new security checkpoints, arresting people on suspicion of collaboration with foreign entities, and warning protesters via sms messages that there is a shoot-to-kill order in place, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.
While the IRGC and plainclothes Basij have been weakened by US and Israeli attacks, Iranians say that they are still exercising strict control over the cities, especially at night, when armed men on motorcycles ride through the streets. These men have also set up a network of security checkpoints where they regularly stop and search cars, the WSJ wrote.
According to Ahmad-Reza Radan, the commander of Iran’s police force, over 500 people have been arrested since the beginning of the war. Charges against those detained include sharing information with enemy forces or international media, or just taking photos or videos of sites hit by airstrikes.
Others were accused of celebrating the assasination of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei or of being monarchists - supporting Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s last shah. State-run media said that 11 suspected monarchists have been killed after resisting police, according to the WSJ.
A stronger blow than January protests
The IRGC has been using television broadcasts and text messages to continue to intimidate civilians and keep them from protesting. A copy of one text viewed by the WSJ warned that any rioters would face “a stronger blow than January eighth,” which was in reference to the mass killings of protestors that ended mass anti-regime protests in January.
While internet access has been almost completely restricted, some Iranians have been using illegal Starlink terminals. Police have begun arresting users and suppliers, with a 37-year-old man accused of running an illegal Starlink sales network arrested last week, according to Mehr News Agency.
While regular police have become a rare sight in the street, plainclothes Basij and IRGC forces still intimidate citizens, fearing another wave of anti-regime protests, the WSJ reported.
