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The clerical dictatorship has launched a nationwide Basij paramilitary exercise spanning dozens of provinces, under the pretext of “neighborhood-centered drills.” While state media describe the operation as a campaign for “public service” and “community preparedness,” official statements reveal a deeper objective: expanding surveillance networks, building intelligence hubs, and tightening control over restive populations amid growing fears of nationwide uprisings.
According to IRIB News, the drills, branded “Reaffirming Allegiance to the Leadership”, began in Isfahan with the participation of over 1,200 Basij neighborhood bases. Provincial commander Brigadier General Mojtaba Fada claimed the operation aims to “increase defensive readiness” and “boost social resilience.” However, Fada also admitted that the drills are coordinated with state security agencies, mosques, Friday prayer leaders, and local authorities — creating a synchronized network of security choke points across urban and rural areas.
#Iran’s “Neighborhood-Based Management”: A Mask for Militarized Repression https://t.co/4uwQHJkA4v
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Building Intelligence Networks Across Provinces
From Tehran to Golestan, commanders have confirmed that one of the central objectives of the exercise is to map neighborhoods and monitor residents. Tabnak quoted Tehran’s provincial IRGC commander, Brigadier General Ghorban-Mohammad Valizadeh, saying the first step is the “completion of neighborhood intelligence databases,” achieved through door-to-door data collection and reconnaissance patrols.
In Golestan Province, Tasnim News reported that Brigadier General Ali Malek-Shahkouhi, commander of the Neynava IRGC, deployed 70,000 Basijis for local operations, including intelligence patrols, “security checkpoints,” and the activation of so-called “Razaviyoun units” — specialized forces tasked with monitoring dissent. Malek-Shahkouhi claimed that 80,000 Basij members are ultimately expected to participate in the province-wide maneuvers.
Similarly, the official news agency IRNA reported that in Malard County, southwest of Tehran, Colonel Abbas Zormand oversaw “Khyeibar Operations,” designed to “assess emergency readiness” and integrate Basij forces into municipal crisis response structures. Zormand emphasized that the program links local Basij bases with government bodies, police, and religious institutions — effectively embedding regime security infrastructure at the neighborhood level.
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Surveillance Disguised as Social Outreach
While officials claim the drills include “charitable initiatives,” such as distributing 4,000 food packages to impoverished families, commanders repeatedly highlighted the intelligence-gathering function. The so-called “social assistance” fronts are designed to penetrate local communities while feeding security agencies with updated data on households, economic conditions, and social activity.
According to Tasnim and IQNA Golestan, these efforts are paired with intensified “information patrols” and “public awareness campaigns” — including mandatory mosque-based meetings led by Friday prayer leaders, reinforcing ideological indoctrination alongside data collection.
#Iran News: Tehran Stages Security Drill Amid Fear of Renewed #Protestshttps://t.co/2KNIY4x7NU
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Preparing for Uprisings
Analysts note that these large-scale maneuvers come as the clerical dictatorship faces mounting unrest over collapsing infrastructure, unpaid wages, and economic freefall. Recent disclosures from Hossein Pourjamshidian, deputy interior minister for security, revealed that authorities are already arming Basij checkpoints and deploying FARAJA police forces in anticipation of “hard conditions.”
The timing suggests that the regime’s mobilization is less about “community security” and more about preparing for mass crackdowns should protests reignite. With neighborhood intelligence databases, coordinated mosque networks, and 24/7 Basij patrols, authorities are expanding their ability to monitor, preempt, and suppress dissent before it spills into the streets.
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Tightening Control as Fear Grows
These operations underscore the regime’s escalating paranoia. By embedding Basij units into local mosques, integrating them with Friday prayer leaders, and giving them expanded data-collection powers, Tehran is attempting to close the gap between growing public anger and its own weakened grip on power.
Observers warn that far from increasing stability, this strategy could fuel more resentment, as citizens see their neighborhoods transformed into militarized surveillance zones. With an explosive social climate and the memory of past uprisings fresh, the clerical dictatorship appears to be bracing for a storm it increasingly cannot contain.