Iran's Regime Escalates Crackdown with Executions of Anti-Regime Figures Amid Fears of Uprising

Iran's regime has intensified its repressive tactics, executing at least four prominent anti-regime figures in a 48-hour period while sentencing 15 additional political prisoners to death, according to the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI). The brutal crackdown, described by the opposition group as a calculated effort to "intimidate" and "send a warning," reflects growing fears among regime leaders of another mass uprising. These executions—targeting members of the People's Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI)—have been framed as a message of control amid escalating domestic unrest and external pressures from U.S. and Israeli military strikes.

The NCRI's Foreign Affairs Committee Chair, Mohammad Mohaddessin, emphasized that the killings of Pouya Ghobadi, Babak Alipour, Mohammad Taghavi Sangdehi, and Ali Akbar Daneshvarkar were not isolated acts but part of a broader strategy to suppress dissent. "The regime leadership is extremely concerned about the domestic situation and the possibility of another uprising," he stated during a Wednesday briefing. The timing of the executions, amid an ongoing external war, underscores the regime's desperation to quell internal dissent while diverting attention from its military vulnerabilities.

Families and residents have gathered at the Kahrizak Coroner's Office, confronting rows of body bags as they search for relatives killed during the January crackdown on protests. The regime's violent response to demonstrations, which left thousands dead, has left a legacy of trauma. Meanwhile, Iranian police special forces have been deployed to guard funerals for victims of Israeli airstrikes, highlighting the dual threat of external aggression and internal repression.

The executions of the four PMOI members—each sentenced to death over two years ago—were carried out in secret, with families denied advance notification. Alipour, a 34-year-old law graduate, had been imprisoned in 2018 and 2021, during which time he suffered from untreated intestinal infections and prostate disease. His case, along with those of the others, has drawn international condemnation, with the NCRI warning of a potential "massacre" of political prisoners akin to the 1988 executions, when 30,000 detainees were killed following Iran's defeat in the Iraq war.

Mohaddessin accused the regime of exploiting the external war to mask its internal crises, stating that "the principal enemy is the Iranian people and their Resistance." He urged the UN, U.S., and other human rights advocates to condemn the executions and hold Tehran accountable. The NCRI's warnings come as the regime, now led by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's son Mojtaba following his alleged death in an airstrike, faces mounting pressure from both within and beyond its borders.

As the international community grapples with the scale of Iran's repression, the executions serve as a grim reminder of the regime's willingness to sacrifice lives to maintain power. With tensions escalating and the specter of another uprising looming, the question remains whether global efforts can curb this cycle of violence before it spirals further.

The arrest of 32-year-old Mohammad Ghobadi on 27 December 2023 marked a troubling chapter in his long-standing legal battles with Iranian authorities. Ghobadi, an electrical engineer, was transferred to Evin Prison—a facility notorious for its harsh conditions and history of detaining political dissidents—where he endured four months of interrogation. His case is deeply personal: Ghobadi's family has been targeted by the regime for decades. Five of his relatives were jailed and executed in the 1980s, a period marked by widespread repression and purges. Ghobadi himself was arrested in February 2018 and again in 2019, facing a ten-year prison sentence that ended in February 2022 when he was released. His release was short-lived; he was detained once more in February 2024, continuing a pattern of cyclical incarceration that has defined his life since his first arrest.

Meanwhile, 60-year-old Mohammad Sangdehi was arrested in 2024 and is currently held in Evin Prison. His case is part of a broader crackdown on perceived dissent, as is that of another 60-year-old engineer, Daneshvarkar, who spent his final years in Evin. Both men were prosecuted in a joint case alongside other political prisoners, facing charges such as membership in the People's Mojahedin of Iran (PMOI), a group designated as a terrorist organization by the Iranian government, as well as accusations of 'assembly and collusion against national security' and 'forming illegal groups.' These charges, often used against activists and opposition figures, underscore the regime's strategy of criminalizing political expression under the guise of national security.

The Iranian regime's security measures have intensified since the start of the war, with armed teenagers deployed to patrol the streets of Tehran. In the early weeks of the conflict, checkpoints sprang up across the capital, often staffed by police or military vehicles, and marked by traffic cones and barriers that blocked roads. While some of the most visible barriers have been removed in recent days following high-profile airstrikes on Iranian positions, the presence of security forces remains pervasive. Iranian authorities have confirmed recruiting children as young as 12 for paramilitary duties, including traffic checks and patrols.

Eyewitness accounts paint a stark picture of this militarized youth presence. A 28-year-old woman, speaking to AFP under the condition of anonymity, described encountering two checkpoints in northern Tehran during a drive at around 9 pm. At one, teenagers aged 13 or 14—armed and visibly tense—stopped her vehicle. One of the boys sat beside her in the passenger seat, demanding her mobile phone and scrutinizing her photographs. 'It was extremely intrusive,' she said, highlighting the unsettling power these minors wielded. Another resident recounted a similar experience, describing a military checkpoint followed by a second, unmarked one where private cars staffed by teenagers conducted searches. 'They open car doors without permission, open dashboards and check phones,' he told AFP, underscoring the invasive nature of these operations.

Beyond the physical security measures, Iran's internet restrictions have tightened, with hundreds of individuals arrested for connecting to the global web. The regime has long banned access to international internet services, but recent crackdowns have escalated penalties for those caught transmitting data overseas. Authorities accuse such individuals of 'spying,' a charge that often leads to imprisonment or worse. These measures, combined with the militarization of youth and the targeting of political prisoners, reflect a regime under increasing pressure to maintain control through both overt force and systemic repression.