Iran Intensifies Nationwide Crackdown Following Israel War

In the aftermath of Iran's 12-day war with Israel, the Iranian government has intensified its domestic repression, targeting political and civil activists with arrests, executions, and brutal violence. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi condemned this surge in state violence, describing it as a deliberate effort by the regime to spread fear and suppress dissent, while rejecting the regime's claims of victory over Israel. Reports describe a coordinated campaign involving the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Basij, and police conducting mass raids, house searches, and arbitrary detentions, with expedited trials and executions carried out on charges such as espionage and enmity against God. Prison attacks on political detainees and extrajudicial killings by security forces have been documented, highlighting the regime's use of physical violence to enforce control. State-affiliated media and officials justify these actions as necessary to combat alleged Israeli infiltration, while observers warn of unprecedented crackdowns on civil liberties affecting broad segments of Iranian society. This internal crackdown reflects Tehran's deepening alarm over perceived security threats but has drawn international concern for human rights violations and the further erosion of democratic freedoms in Iran.