Iran launches internal crackdown following 12-day war
Following the ceasefire with Israel, Iranian authorities are shifting focus to a nationwide internal security crackdown, marked by mass arrests, executions, and increased military presence—especially in the volatile Kurdish region—according to officials and activists.
In the days following Israel's airstrikes on June 13, Iranian security forces launched a broad crackdown involving mass arrests and heightened street patrols centered around checkpoints, according to officials and activists.
Some in Israel and within exiled opposition groups had hoped the strikes—targeting Revolutionary Guards, internal security forces, and nuclear facilities—would trigger a mass uprising and lead to the collapse of the Islamic Republic.
While Reuters has interviewed many Iranians frustrated with the government’s policies, which they believe provoked the Israeli attack, there has been no major sign of public protests. However, a senior Iranian security official, along with two others briefed on internal matters, said the government remains deeply concerned about potential unrest, especially in the Kurdish regions.
The Revolutionary Guard and Basij paramilitary units have been placed on high alert, with internal security now the regime's top priority. The senior official noted fears of sabotage or unrest instigated by Israeli operatives, ethnic separatist groups, and the exiled People’s Mujahideen Organisation, which has a history of carrying out attacks inside Iran.
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