The Iranian regime is intensifying internal repression following attacks by Israel and the United States.
Security officers conduct random checks and inspect the contents of mobile phones.
BeirutThe air offensive launched by Israel and the United States against key targets in Iran The attack not only caused material damage. It also exposed cracks in the Islamic Republic's security system. Tehran immediately responded with an internal campaign aimed at regaining control and stifling any signs of dissent.
As soon as the ceasefire was announced, the presence of security forces on the streets visibly increased. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Basij militias, and police have been deployed in key cities. Checkpoints have been set up on highways, neighborhood entrances, and in sensitive areas. Digital surveillance has also been intensified: cell phones, browsing histories, and personal contacts are being reviewed. Official messages even circulated warning of the legal consequences of following accounts deemed "hostile" on social media.
More than 700 people have been arrested in recent weeks. Authorities accuse them of collaborating with foreign intelligence services, primarily with Israel. The charges range from espionage to "corruption on Earth," a crime that can carry the death penalty in Iran. The regime attributes these arrests to an alleged infiltration network that would have facilitated targeted attacks.
But the offensive goes beyond the alleged connection to foreign powers. The judicial system has reactivated cases against activists, dissidents, and even common prisoners, now reclassified under the heading of threats to national security. Some detainees were transferred from the already overcrowded Evin Prison to more restrictive prisons. Local sources report that their families have not been informed and that the accused have no legal representation. At least six executions have been confirmed after unfair trials.
In parallel, the regime has intensified the expulsions of Afghan migrants. According to data from the UNHCR and local organizations, more than 30,000 people were deported in a matter of days. Many had been previously detained on suspicion of espionage. Everything indicates that these measures respond to a logic of preventative security rather than concrete evidence.
The tightening of controls is not limited to Tehran. Random checks have also increased in other cities. Digital surveillance has become routine. According to some witnesses, officers inspect cell phones in the street, without warrants or explanations.
Restoring the regime's image
For some analysts, this offensive aims to restore the regime's image after the blow it has suffered. Diba Mirzaei of the German GIGA Institute believes the message is not only directed abroad. It also targets the interior, where no ambiguity in loyalty will be tolerated.
The Parliament has accompanied this repressive shift with a battery of legal reforms. Penalties for collaborating with "hostile powers" have been toughened, and even the possession of unauthorized drones or the dissemination of information deemed sensitive has been criminalized. The goal is to shield the state from further leaks, but also to expand the scope for criminalization within the country.
Meanwhile, the regime is trying to maintain the narrative of unity. In cities such as Tehran, Mashhad, and Qom, marches were organized in support of Iran's supposed "victory" after the ceasefire. These were state-sponsored events, featuring flags, chants, and slogans against Israel and the United States. But beyond this official stagecraft, social media, when not blocked, reveals a different reality. Testimonies from families of detainees, isolated protests in Kurdish regions, and attempts at mobilization in universities that fail to consolidate due to police pressure. Expressions of discontent are weaker but still active.
Isa Saharkhiz, a journalist and activist, believes the regime is taking advantage of the war to expand social control. "It's not new, but this time the reach is greater and faster," she said recently.
The authorities maintain a discourse of unity and resistance to prevent the external crisis from eroding their internal legitimacy. They seek to regain control and show strength, but the coordinated threat exposes the fragility of the system. The regime's response has been increased repression, reduced safeguards, and greater surveillance of the population, although this pressure could backfire on it again, as it did in 2022.