{"id":341669,"date":"2026-01-17T22:01:55","date_gmt":"2026-01-17T21:01:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=341669"},"modified":"2026-01-18T11:11:44","modified_gmt":"2026-01-18T10:11:44","slug":"day-21-of-iran-uprising-tehran-under-military-siege-as-global-call-to-blacklist-irgc-intensifies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-protests\/day-21-of-iran-uprising-tehran-under-military-siege-as-global-call-to-blacklist-irgc-intensifies\/","title":{"rendered":"Day 21 of Iran Uprising: Tehran Under Military Siege as Global Call to Blacklist IRGC Intensifies"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Day
Burning barricades light a city street as protesters block traffic during unrest in Iran, January 2026<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For one week, the Iranian regime has imposed a total internet blackout, attempting to cast a shroud of silence over a nation in revolt. Yet, as the uprising marks its 21st day, the “wall of silence” has failed to contain the realities on the ground. Reports leaking from the country reveal a capital city under de facto military occupation and a populace that remains defiant despite the deployment of heavy weaponry in residential areas.<\/p>\n

On January 17, the uprising that began three weeks ago showed no signs of abating. While the regime has resorted to unprecedented domestic suppression to quell the unrest, the international community is simultaneously moving toward a consensus that could sever the regime’s lifeline: the designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)<\/a> as a terrorist organization. From the streets of Tehran to the parliament halls of Europe and South America, the pressure on the theocracy is mounting.<\/p>\n

Tehran Under Siege: A Regime in Panic<\/h2>\n

According to a detailed report<\/a> by the Social Headquarters of the People\u2019s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI\/MEK) inside the country, the regime has deployed a staggering 52,000 suppressive forces solely to control Tehran. This massive mobilization indicates a security apparatus on high alert, fearing the loss of control over the capital.<\/p>\n

The breakdown of these forces reveals a multi-layered strategy of repression. The deployment includes 24,000 members of the IRGC and the paramilitary Basij, 21,000 agents from the State Security Force (SSF), and 2,000 army personnel under Khamenei\u2019s direct command, tasked specifically with protecting power plants, the state broadcasting network (IRIB), and critical infrastructure. Perhaps most telling of the regime’s distrust in its own stability is the deployment of 5,000 proxy forces, notably members of the Iraqi Hashd al-Shaabi, to suppress the Iranian population.<\/p>\n

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NCRI Statement: Protesters in Zahedan Chant 'Death to Khamenei' and 'Death to Basiji'; Hit-and-Run Clashes in #Tehran<\/a> and Other Citieshttps:\/\/t.co\/jV17BPYyoq<\/a><\/p>\n

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) January 17, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n