Iran’s regime is increasingly forced to defend itself at home - opinion
Iran’s regime is increasingly turning its security apparatus inward as protests, armed opposition and internal threats put pressure on the IRGC.
In Iran, the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) are increasingly responsible for defending the regime at home, struggling to protect its interests in the face of mounting domestic challenges. The IRGC's influence extends beyond its traditional role in safeguarding Iran's influence abroad. As the domestic situation grows more complex, the IRGC must devote an ever-increasing share of its resources to ensuring regime security on home soil.
The IRGC's arsenal, military and security networks, and capacity to strike adversaries have grown, yet the regime's predicament becomes pressing when considering the broader range of domestic developments. Tehran no longer faces a single threat; instead, it must contend with a constantly expanding territory to defend, rising costs of defense, and mounting pressure on its resources and maneuvering room.
At the core of this concern is the regime's response to the reshuffling of military and security leadership. Ahmad Vahidi assumes command of the IRGC, while Mostafa Izadi becomes his deputy, and Hossein Taeb returns to lead the Guard’s Basij. These appointments signify the mobilization of the IRGC's men, the security apparatus, and loyalists in protecting the clerical regime, which has now merged with the regime's war efforts abroad.
The return of Hossein Taeb is particularly significant, as he symbolizes the heightened sensitivity of the security apparatus towards protests and dissent. Iran International, an opposition media outlet, published a recording of a closed-door meeting where discussions revolved around new protests, the shrinking social environment favorable to the Basij, and the need to expand surveillance of opposition activity on social media.
This event followed the assassination of a pro-regime religious singer, Hamidreza Rajabzadeh, unsettling those close to power. The regime's fear of retribution from its own population is further illustrated by the bloodiest face of this fear: executions. Since March, at least 56 people have been executed on national security charges, with 27 in cases linked to the protests earlier in the year, and more than 100 others awaiting execution.
These numbers reveal a shaken regime that perceives the return of the street as a direct threat to its power and raises the cost of dissent as popular anger approaches forming a political movement that could endanger its survival. The regime's fears extend beyond the cities, as opposition reports cite IRGC reinforcements and military deployments near the Iraqi border, particularly in Kurdish areas.
The establishment of the People’s Fighters Front, a new Baloch armed structure, further highlights the regime's struggle against growing armed opposition on its eastern periphery. This evolution from protests to armed resistance places a higher burden on the regime's security, military, and intelligence resources, reflecting the regime's struggle to maintain control in the face of growing domestic challenges.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
