In the aftermath of a 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran, the Iranian regime is reportedly intensifying its efforts to isolate and suppress its own citizens in a bid to maintain its grip on power.
This development follows a series of Israeli air strikes and U.S. military actions aimed at dismantling Iran's nuclear capabilities.
According to Breitbart, Fox News Digital has reported insights from experts and sources familiar with the situation in Iran. Kasra Aarabi, who leads research on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) at United Against Nuclear Iran, described the regime's trajectory as increasingly resembling a "North Korea-style model of isolation and control."
Aarabi emphasized the unprecedented level of suppression within the country, stating, "Were witnessing a kind of domestic isolation that will have major consequences for the Iranian people. The regime has always been totalitarian, but the level of suppression now is unprecedented. Its unlike anything weve seen before." An anonymous source within Iran corroborated this, describing the repression as "terrifying."
Aarabi, who maintains direct communication with contacts in Iran, highlighted the regime's invasive tactics, including random stops where citizens' phones are confiscated and scrutinized. He noted, "If you have content deemed pro-Israel or mocking the regime, you disappear." This has led many Iranians to either leave their phones at home or erase potentially incriminating content before venturing outside.
The isolation of the Iranian populace was already in motion during the conflict. As reported by Breitbart last month, Iranians faced a near-total communication blackout, severing their connections not only with the outside world but also with fellow citizens and family members across the nation. Aarabi explained that this was a deliberate move to obstruct Israeli evacuation alerts and propagate the narrative that Israel was targeting civilian areas. "It was a perverse objective," Aarabi remarked. "They deliberately cut communications to instill fear and manipulate public perception. For four days, not a single message went through. Even Israeli evacuation alerts didnt reach their targets."
The regime's strategy aimed to prevent public gatherings and disrupt an emerging solidarity between Iranians and Israelis. Aarabi observed that initially, many Iranians supported the Israeli strikes, recognizing that the targets were the IRGC, the very forces responsible for domestic oppression. However, the communication blackout and ensuing fear led some to question the unfolding events.
Dr. Afshon Ostovar, a prominent Iran scholar and author of "Vanguard of the Imam: Religion, Politics, and Irans Revolutionary Guards," provided further analysis in the Fox report. He asserted that domestic repression remains the regime's primary survival tactic. "Repressing the people at home is easy," he explained.
"Thats something they can do. So its not unlikely that Iran could become more insular, more autocratic, more repressive and more similar to, lets say, a North Korea than what it is today." Ostovar suggested that the regime might view tightening control over the Iranian populace as the only viable means to prevent an uprising and secure its continued rule.
The situation in Iran underscores the regime's determination to maintain power through increased isolation and repression, raising concerns about the future of the Iranian people and their ability to connect with the world beyond their borders.
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