{"id":344391,"date":"2026-04-16T20:03:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T19:03:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=344391"},"modified":"2026-04-16T20:03:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T19:03:00","slug":"irans-regime-expands-crackdown-as-authorities-signal-fear-of-renewed-unrest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/society\/irans-regime-expands-crackdown-as-authorities-signal-fear-of-renewed-unrest\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran’s Regime Expands Crackdown as Authorities Signal Fear of Renewed Unrest"},"content":{"rendered":"
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AI-generated image of an inner-city checkpoint in Iran<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Three-minute read<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Iranian authorities have sharply escalated internal security measures in the weeks following the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and extensive military losses during joint U.S. and Israeli strikes, deploying a combination of street-level enforcement, mass arrests and prolonged internet restrictions that analysts say reflect mounting concern over potential unrest.<\/p>\n

The widening crackdown comes as the country struggles to stabilize after a major conflict that degraded significant portions of its infrastructure, while simultaneously exposing vulnerabilities inside the clerical dictatorship.<\/p>\n

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Checkpoint Expansion and Visible Militarization of Cities<\/h2>\n

Across major cities, including Tehran, residents report<\/a> an unprecedented expansion of security checkpoints, where vehicles are routinely stopped, searched and, in many cases, occupants subjected to questioning and mobile phone inspections.<\/p>\n

On April 13, Interior Ministry spokesman Ali Zeinivand described the deployment of checkpoints as a decision approved by the National Security Council, while police spokesman Saeed Montazer al-Mahdi said<\/a> the number of official police checkpoints had reached 1,463. The total figure is believed to be significantly higher when including units operated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Basij militia, which maintain tens of thousands of bases nationwide.<\/p>\n

Witness accounts indicate that many checkpoint personnel operate without visible identification and often conceal their faces. In some areas, the presence of pickup trucks mounted with heavy machine guns\u2014an uncommon sight in urban centers\u2014has further underscored the militarized environment.<\/p>\n

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"In the aftermath of the #IranWar\u200c<\/a> and amid deepening economic collapse, Iran\u2019s clerical dictatorship has launched a sweeping campaign of repression designed to prevent a new wave of protests from emerging," @SaforaSM<\/a> writes.https:\/\/t.co\/bjk5iME9ba<\/a><\/p>\n

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) April 14, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n