On September 24, Iranian regime president Ebrahim Raisi attended a security meeting where he sought solutions to address social abnormalities and crises. The meeting was attended by top officials of the regime, including intelligence minister Ismail Khatib, interior minister Ahmad Vahidi, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Commander-in-Chief Hossein Salami, Basij Commander-in-Chief Mohammad Reza Naghdi; and other senior officials from the IRGC and State Security Forces.
In recent weeks, such security meetings have been held regularly to address social crises and potential uprisings. The highest-ranking officials of the regime have publicly emphasized almost daily the explosive conditions, potential uprisings in society, and the readiness of enemies to strike at the regime.
On September 11, regime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei delivered a public speech in which he issued a warning about the advancement of the “armed and prepared enemy.” In addressing his loyalists, he said, “If you fall asleep in your trenches, it doesn’t mean that the enemy has also fallen asleep in their trenches. No, it is possible that they are awake and may take advantage of your sleep. This is a fundamental matter, and we must not be negligent.”
The regime’s fear is not baseless or unfounded. The economic conditions are so dire that any spark can ignite the explosive anger of the masses and mobilize the disgruntled population. Furthermore, the spirit of rebellion and uprising is strong within the society. Particularly, the youth are becoming more radical in their protests and are facing off against the regime in every street and corner.
On September 7, the IRGC-affiliated News Agencies claimed that in July of this year there were unprecedented severe clashes with the regime forces and protesters.
On August 23, the command of the regime’s law enforcement forces reported intense clashes and claimed that “these months have been the most bitter months for the law enforcement command.” The regime’s intelligence and security apparatus are regularly announcing to have arrested members and leaders of “disturbances” in order to intimidate the youth and dissuade them from joining protests.
On September 24, the Ministry of Intelligence issued a statement calling on the people to spy for the regime and to “report any suspicious movements to the news headquarters of this ministry at number 113.”
It seems that these types of news are being disseminated in order to deter and create fear and terror. This actually reflects the regime’s frustration with the impending uprising. Brigadier General Ramezan Sharif, the Deputy for Public Relations of the IRGC, who is afraid of the flames of the uprising, expressed hope on state TV on September 23 that “the defeat of last fall’s unrests will change the situation in a way that we will no longer need to take security measures…”
The statements of Ebrahim Jabbari, the advisor to the Commander-in-Chief of the IRGC, shed further light on the fear of an uprising that lies ahead. By acknowledging the growing anger and hatred of the people towards the regime, he said, “Enemies consistently generate hatred against the regime within the hearts of the Iranian people. The enemy’s goal is to push the people towards confrontation with the regime, leading to social and political conflict. That is why we witnessed the presence of young people in the past year’s clashes.” (Source: ISNA news agency, September 24)
The current question before the regime is which direction the youth will take after the 2022 uprising and what the nature of the next uprising will be. Esmail Khatib, the regime’s Minister of Intelligence, also responded to this question in a television program on September 14, saying, “You may see in these opposition networks and satellite channels how they parade our young people in their films.”
The continued activities of the Resistance Units and the relentless protests of Iran’s brave youth are testament to the regime’s failure in suppressing the spirit of dissent. The increasing anger of the people towards the lack of freedom, has rightly instilled intense fear and concern for Supreme Leader, the heads of regime and Raisi as well as the Minister of Intelligence, and among the commanders of the IRGC.
