TEHRAN — Iranian authorities have escalated their suppression of dissent, deploying riot police and intelligence units to quash mass protests that erupted across major cities last week, resulting in hundreds of arrests and at least a dozen reported deaths. The demonstrations, initially sparked by skyrocketing inflation and fuel price hikes amid crippling U.S. sanctions, quickly morphed into broader calls for political reform and an end to the clerical regime's iron-fisted rule.
Protests began in the southwestern city of Ahvaz, where residents took to the streets after a 40 percent surge in fuel costs left many unable to afford basic necessities. Videos circulating on social media showed thousands chanting anti-government slogans, with crowds in Tehran, Isfahan, and Shiraz joining in solidarity. Demonstrators waved pre-1979 Iranian flags and demanded the resignation of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, echoing the fervor of the 2022 Mahsa Amini uprising.
In response, the regime has activated its Revolutionary Guards and Basij militias, imposing nationwide internet blackouts to stifle coordination among protesters. State media reported over 500 detentions, including prominent activists and students, while human rights groups like Amnesty International documented cases of torture and forced confessions aired on television. Security forces have used live ammunition and tear gas, turning urban centers into battlegrounds.
President Ebrahim Raisi's administration defends the measures as necessary to combat "foreign-instigated chaos," blaming Israel and the United States for orchestrating the unrest. Hardline clerics have issued fatwas labeling protesters as "enemies of Islam," while state broadcaster IRIB has flooded airwaves with footage of alleged rioters destroying public property. Underground networks, however, claim the crackdown is fueling underground resistance, with labor unions and women's rights groups vowing to persist.
Internationally, the European Union condemned the violence and called for sanctions on Iranian officials, while the U.S. State Department reiterated support for the protesters' aspirations. Analysts warn that the deepening crackdown risks radicalizing a new generation, potentially destabilizing the regime further as economic woes persist. With Iran's nuclear program advancing amid stalled talks, the protests underscore the regime's vulnerability at a precarious geopolitical moment.
