Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has issued a unprecedented high-alert mandate to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as protests against economic misery explode across the nation. Entering their second week with ferocity, the demonstrations challenge the Islamic Republic’s stability like never before.
Triggered by skyrocketing costs of living and broader crises, the unrest started December 28 and now engulfs numerous cities. Security forces clash violently with crowds, even as a total internet shutdown aims to stifle coordination—yet defiance persists.
The IRGC broadcast a clear ultimatum: remain within bounds or face repercussions, as protecting the homeland and state property constitutes an inviolable red line. Their priority remains eternal: preserving the 1979 Revolution and quelling chaos decisively.
Dubbing the protests ‘terrorist riots’ linked to overseas meddling, IRGC intel promises to expose and eliminate plots. Revelations to The Telegraph highlight this alert surpassing last year’s Israel war intensity. ‘More preparation than the June war,’ a top official quoted Khamenei as ordering for his favored Sepah.
Khamenei’s faith in the IRGC eclipses other forces; underground missile silos now stand ready against external foes. He derided protesters as ‘troublemakers’ serving Trump’s agenda, amid the ex-president’s strike threats. Exiled Reza Pahlavi calls for urban takeovers, countered by judicial death sentence warnings and a ‘no mercy’ stance.
Casualties mount to 50-60 per rights groups, including kids, drawing sharp rebukes from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. With Tehran ablaze in confrontations, Iran’s leadership clings to its elite corps, determined to weather the storm ravaging the republic.