As concerns grow within Iran’s regime about the possibility of a new wave of public protests, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has announced that if street protests occur, protesters will face a harsher response than in the past.
According to a statement released on March 12 by the IRGC Intelligence Organization, the agency claimed that “the enemies of the Islamic Republic” are attempting to create an atmosphere of fear and encourage street protests in order to produce instability and unrest in the country. The statement also called on forces affiliated with the IRGC and the Basij militia paramilitary organization under the IRGC—to maintain a constant presence on the ground.
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Another part of the statement referred to the January protests and claimed that at that time it had also warned that street unrest would serve as a prelude to a military strike. The IRGC Intelligence Organization now claims that opponents of the government are once again seeking to organize protests and has therefore threatened that if protest gatherings take shape, demonstrators will face a stronger blow than that of January 8.
At the same time as this warning, the IRGC issued a separate statement reacting to previous protests and verbally attacking participants with harsh language. In that statement, some protesters were described as “neo-ISIS,” and it was emphasized that any future gatherings or street protests would face a harsher reaction from security forces.
The publication of these threats comes at a time when Iran’s political and social atmosphere is facing increasing tensions following recent developments, regional war, and mounting economic and security pressures. Many observers believe that issuing such statements reflects serious concern within the ruling establishment about the possibility of a new wave of popular protests.
