{"id":329633,"date":"2025-03-19T20:25:44","date_gmt":"2025-03-19T19:25:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=329633"},"modified":"2025-03-20T08:23:17","modified_gmt":"2025-03-20T07:23:17","slug":"iran-news-tehran-stages-security-drill-amid-fear-of-renewed-protests","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-protests\/iran-news-tehran-stages-security-drill-amid-fear-of-renewed-protests\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran News: Tehran Stages Security Drill Amid Fear of Renewed Protests"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Nowruz
Nowruz 2023 Security Forces Drill conducted on Tuesday, March 14, 2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In a display of force aimed at asserting control, Iranian authorities conducted a large-scale security drill in Tehran, officially described as a “preparation exercise for ensuring public safety” during the Persian New Year (Nowruz) celebrations. The event, dubbed the “Nowruz Security Drill,” took place in Azadi Square and featured high-ranking security officials, including General Ahmadreza Radan, Commander-in-Chief of the regime’s State Security Forces (SSF).<\/p>\n

State media portrayed<\/a> the exercise as a demonstration of police readiness to maintain control and enforce security measures across the capital. However, the drill, featuring tactical displays by specialized units, appeared more as an intimidation tactic than a genuine commitment to public safety, reinforcing the regime’s repressive grip on the population.<\/p>\n

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In a press conference on March 19, Radan announced<\/a> that 16,000 security patrols and 250,000 security forces are on standby to be deployed in an emergency.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n

While authorities presented the drill as a routine measure for holiday security, analysts suggest the operation is indicative of deeper concerns within the regime regarding potential unrest. The timing of the exercise follows recent public displays of defiance, including fiery protests during the annual Chaharshanbe Suri<\/em> celebrations<\/a>, a traditional fire-jumping festival that has increasingly become an occasion for anti-regime demonstrations.<\/p>\n

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Chaharshanbe Suri, National Fire Festival Ignites Nationwide #IranProtests<\/a>https:\/\/t.co\/DnE6p9SNwm<\/a><\/p>\n

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) March 18, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n