What Happened
- Iran's national police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan warned that anti-government protesters would be treated as "enemies" if they support forces opposed to the Iranian government, stating: "We will do to them what we do to an enemy."
- The warning came after a government crackdown in January 2026 on protests sparked by economic grievances — including currency collapse, soaring inflation, and mismanagement of public services — in a country already under severe international sanctions.
- The 2025–2026 Iranian protests were the largest since the 2022 Mahsa Amini protests, spread across 285 locations in 88 cities, 27 provinces, and 22 universities.
- The protests were distinct from the 2022 movement in being primarily driven by economic and governance failures rather than women's rights, though both strands were present.
- Iran's security apparatus — the IRGC, Basij, and FARAJA police — deployed against demonstrators following the pattern established in 2022.
Static Topic Bridges
Iran's Political System and the Role of the IRGC
Iran's constitution establishes a unique dual-sovereignty system: an elected president and parliament coexist with unelected religious institutions headed by the Supreme Leader (Rahbar). The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), established in 1979, is a parallel military-security force answerable directly to the Supreme Leader — distinct from the regular army. The IRGC controls a vast economic empire and is the primary instrument of internal repression and external force projection.
- Supreme Leader: Ali Khamenei (since 1989) — highest authority under the doctrine of Velayat-e Faqih (Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist).
- IRGC established: May 5, 1979 — created after the Islamic Revolution to defend the revolution against internal and external threats.
- IRGC Basij: a paramilitary volunteer force under IRGC, deployed for internal suppression of protests.
- IRGC designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) by the US in 2019.
- The IRGC controls an economic empire estimated at 10–20% of Iran's GDP, spanning construction, telecommunications, and energy.
- FARAJA is Iran's civilian police force (acronym for "Law Enforcement Force of the Islamic Republic of Iran").
Connection to this news: The police chief's threat is backed by the IRGC-Basij apparatus, which has historically been deployed with lethal force against protesters. The "enemy" framing is legally significant — it potentially permits extrajudicial force against civilians, recalling the rhetoric used to justify mass arrests and executions during the 2022 protests.
Economic Sanctions and Their Social Impact on Iran
Iran has been under successive layers of international sanctions since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, with the most severe "maximum pressure" sanctions imposed by the US since 2018 following the withdrawal from the JCPOA. Sanctions have devastated Iran's economy — collapsing the rial, driving inflation above 40–50%, and cutting oil exports by over 80% at their peak.
- US sanctions on Iran: reimposed under Trump (2018) under the Iran Freedom and Counter-Proliferation Act and Executive Orders.
- Iran's rial lost over 80% of its value between 2018 and 2023.
- Inflation in Iran: consistently above 40% per annum (2019–2023); basic food prices rose 100–300%.
- Iran's oil exports: cut from 2.5 million barrels/day (2018) to under 500,000 barrels/day at peak sanctions.
- UN Special Rapporteur has documented sanctions' disproportionate impact on ordinary Iranians' access to medicine and food.
- Iran's protests in 2019 (fuel prices), 2022 (Mahsa Amini), and 2025–26 (economic collapse) all have roots in sanctions-driven economic deterioration.
Connection to this news: The police chief's warning is a direct response to protests rooted in economic desperation that sanctions have exacerbated. The crackdown underscores how sanctions, while intended to pressure the government, have also strengthened the security apparatus's hold by giving it a "foreign enemy" narrative to blame for domestic failures.
The 2022 Mahsa Amini Protests and Precedent for Crackdown
The 2022 "Women, Life, Freedom" (Zan, Zendegi, Azadi) protests, triggered by the death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after her arrest for "improper hijab," became the most widespread challenge to the Islamic Republic since the 1979 revolution. The government responded with lethal force, mass arrests, and executions — a precedent now being invoked in 2026.
- Protests began: September 16, 2022; spread to 500+ cities across all 31 provinces.
- Estimated protesters killed in 2022: 500+ (per NGOs including HRANA and Iran Human Rights).
- Arrests in 2022 protests: 19,000+ (per Amnesty International).
- First execution post-2022 protests: Mohsen Shekari, December 8, 2022, on charges of moharebeh (enmity against God).
- "Moharebeh" (waging war against God) is Iran's legal category that permits death penalty for protest activities.
- The 2025–26 protests: 285 locations, 88 cities, 27 provinces, 22 universities; primarily economic in character.
Connection to this news: The police chief's language of "enemies" directly echoes the legal category of moharebeh used to execute protesters in 2022. This signals that the 2026 crackdown may escalate to similar levels of repression, with systemic human rights implications and further international isolation for Iran.
Key Facts & Data
- Police Chief: Ahmad-Reza Radan; statement date: March 2026
- 2025–26 protests: 285 locations, 88 cities, 27 provinces, 22 universities
- Protests started: December 28, 2025 (economic grievances)
- 2022 Mahsa Amini protests: 500+ killed, 19,000+ arrested
- IRGC established: May 5, 1979; designated US FTO: April 2019
- Moharebeh (enmity against God): capital offence under Iranian law used against protesters
- Iran's rial: lost 80%+ value (2018–2023); inflation: 40%+ annually
- IRGC economic share of Iran's GDP: estimated 10–20%
- Supreme Leader Khamenei in power since: 1989