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Amid the recent ceasefire and the 40th-day memorials for the regime’s slain leader, a wave of anxiety has swept through the highest echelons of the Iranian establishment. The regime now faces a paralyzing dilemma in ceasefire negotiations: state officials fear that any concessions will demoralize their ranks, potentially triggering mass defections among security and militia forces. Amidst this internal fragility, state officials are increasingly vocal about their dread of a restive society and the organized resistance, specifically the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK).
The Shadow of “Operation Eternal Light”
Senior officials are drawing direct parallels between the current instability and the 1988 Operation Eternal Light offensive. On April 8, 2026, a state-affiliated media activist Rouzbeh Alamdari warned on X: “Let us not drown in the narrative of victory! There is no trust in the enemy. We do not lose sight of the danger of a ‘Forugh-e Javidan 2’.”
The Eternal Light operation (Forugh-e Javidan) remains a symbol of the Iranian people’s unwavering resolve to achieve freedom and a democratic alternative. Launched by the National Liberation Army, this historic offensive demonstrated a level of organizational prowess and military courage that shook the clerical establishment to its core. The regime’s enduring fear stems from the fact that the operation shattered the myth of its invincibility and proved that a dedicated resistance force is capable of directly challenging its grip on power. Even decades later, state officials obsessively recall the event because it represents their ultimate nightmare: a synchronized surge where an organized vanguard connects with a restive society to bring an end to religious dictatorship.
Writing in the IRGC-affiliated Fars News Agency, Mohammad-Reza Tourani, a state-aligned figure, warned the establishment to beware of the PMOI. By disparaging the Iranian Resistance’s “support for the ceasefire” as deceptive, Tourani inadvertently admits to the growing appeal of the organization. His rhetoric reveals a deep-seated fear that as “fake alternatives” are exposed for their lack of substance, the organized resistance is successfully reclaiming the national narrative and gaining traction within a restive society.
#Iran News: Regime’s Fear of @Mojahedineng Surfaces in Political Debatehttps://t.co/hMRjfYHeRv
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) April 6, 2025
He said, “The positioning of the Munafeqin (the regime’s pejorative term to defame the PMOI) during the 40-day war—unlike the monarchists—was extremely calculated and cunning. They remained silent throughout the war and are now supporting the ceasefire; two actions that the monarchists did exactly the opposite of. The Munafeqin are intensely trying to reconstruct their image.”
This sentiment was echoed by Mohammad Akbarzadeh, the Political Deputy of the IRGC Navy, who tried to boost morale among the regime’s forces. Arguing that the regime has survived other existential threats before, Akbarzadeh boasted: “If Trump imagined he could enter from the north, south, or west, he should know how the enemies were dealt with in Operation Mersad [the regime’s name for the Operation Eternal Light] … our military power and combat capability are now far greater.”
Fear of an “Empty Street”
The regime’s primary concern appears to be the potential for the Iranian public to seize the moment of cease fire to launch a nationwide uprising. Gholam-Reza Ghasemian, speaking on April 8, 2026, explicitly warned that any reduction in the state’s security presence would be a catalyst for the resistance: “We are not optimistic about anything, not even these two weeks… If the people leave the streets and thoroughfares, the enemy will take advantage, and the ‘Munafeqin‘ [PMOI] sedition will begin, and gradually another event will take shape.”
#Iran's Regime Admits Its Fear of #MEKResistanceUnits https://t.co/nmvFCsE6sx
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) July 6, 2025
This plea for a continued “street presence” of loyalist forces was a recurring theme among officials:
On April 10, Ahmad Marvi, Head of Astan Quds Razavi warned, “Dear ones, do not let the street presence fade… even if negotiations take place… keep and maintain this enemy-breaking presence until the final victory. Do not empty the streets.”
Mohammad-Javad Haj Ali-Akbari, Tehran Friday Prayer Leader, said, “We have not exited the war situation; hands are on the triggers… Field forces are not withdrawing from a war footing but are instead regrouping.”
Mohammad-Mehdi Hosseini Hamedani, Karaj Friday Prayer Leader, also said, “As long as you are in the street square, it means compromise has no meaning… The war is not over.”
Fending off low morale and dismissing what he termed rumors of a “sell-out” in the ceasefire talks, MP Ali Shirinzad addressed crowds in Karaj: “I am personally aware of many issues; there is no compromise and, God forbid, no treason involved. What is happening is proceeding with the wisdom of the Supreme Leader… If he says continue the war, we will continue; if he says negotiate, we will negotiate.”
How the #Iranian Regime’s Fear of the Uprising and @Mojahedineng Signals Its Imminent Downfallhttps://t.co/qvvUKqH5p0
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) July 18, 2025
The “Digital Blackout” and Economic Collapse
The regime’s fear of the “organized resistance” is further evidenced by its 42-day total internet shutdown. NetBlocks reported that as of April 11, 2026, the blackout has exceeded 1000 hours, with connectivity at a mere 1%.
This “digital silence” has come at a staggering cost. Based on figures from the regime’s Minister of Communications, Sattar Hashemi, the blackout has caused an estimated 315 trillion Tomans in damage to the macro-economy since the start of 2026. The state-run Sazandegi newspaper admitted that this policy has decimated the livelihoods of millions, stating: “The first and most tangible damage of this shutdown was inflicted on the body of the micro-economy and household livelihoods… Online businesses, from small sellers on Instagram to motorcycle couriers, have been removed from the income cycle.”
As the regime enters its ninth week of total internet disruption, the desperate rhetoric of its officials suggests that the fear of a “restive society” and the organized resistance movement is outweighing the catastrophic economic consequences of its own survival tactics.