Iran’s authorities harden domestic security controls amid US strike threats

Iran’s domestic security apparatus is on high alert and hardening its approach in dealing with issues that authorities perceive to be jeopardising their control of the country during the war with the United States. Iranian authorities have issued warnings to the public about tough sentences if they protest against the government and are tightening their control in public spaces after months of loosened restrictions on how people dress.

Mahjoob Zweiri, director of the Gulf Studies Center at Qatar University, said the authorities have also been able to publicly mobilise supporters dedicated to the continuity of the government in Tehran amid these tensions. Iranian authorities routinely deploy harsh punishments to deter any form of dissent.

The war, which began on October 28 with US and Israeli strikes on Iranian leaders, has only accelerated this process. On Sunday, the judiciary said three young men arrested during nationwide protests in January were executed for allegedly attacking government offices and damaging public property near Tehran to benefit the US and Israel.