The Israeli military is launching an intense campaign to track down and destroy checkpoints and other sites manned by the Iranian regime’s feared Basij militia in Tehran, according to observations of social media activity outside Iran by the IDF, multiple Israeli media outlets and Euronews’ Persian service.
Israel’s goal appears to be to destroy and demoralize the Basij forces, the paramilitary militia of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and generally weaken the Iranian regime’s internal security apparatus used for repression.
In an address to the nation on Thursday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was “launching a devastating blow against the Revolutionary Guards and the Basij, and we have only just begun.”
As the Syrian regime uses Basij militias to violently suppress dissent and protests, Israel’s targeted tactics could create space for anti-regime protesters to return to the streets.
In his speech, Netanyahu made it clear directly to the Iranian nation: “I say to the Iranian people: The moment of freedom is coming. We stand with you and we are helping you.”
Last week, Iranian authorities issued a direct threat to citizens, warning security forces of “shoot-to-shoot” orders to target protesters and what they called “suspected thieves.”
Shockingly, multiple social media accounts observed by Euronews Persian team claimed that ordinary Iranian citizens filmed Basij checkpoints or military hideouts and posted these videos on social media as a form of opposition after thousands of Iranian protesters were killed or injured by militias and other security forces during the violent crackdown on protests before the war.
By mid-January, Tehran reportedly responded violently to growing unrest across the country that was initially sparked by hyperinflation and the cost of living but later grew into massive anti-regime demonstrations, according to Iranian insiders Euronews spoke to at the time.
Euronews Farsi further noted another development: There is an ever-popular saying that says each drone hit at the Basij checkpoint “brings joy to the souls of dozens of Javidnans,” referring to the victims of January’s bloody crackdown, suggesting that these attacks have given the protest movement new impetus and new hope.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Israel is collecting and verifying intelligence on some of the targets in these videos.
One of the videos appeared to show Basij and members of the security forces hiding under a bridge in Tehran to avoid Israeli detection and air strikes.
Iranian state media reported on Wednesday that several Basij militiamen and other security forces were killed in Israeli drone attacks on checkpoints and roadblocks in Tehran.
The Israel Defense Forces released aerial cockpit footage showing a drone attack on a Basij security checkpoint.
Other social media posts from Tehran on Friday purported to show the aftermath of attacks on infrastructure in the Iranian capital Basij over the past few days, including Friday.
Social media accounts also reported that Basij members across Iran reportedly received threatening messages on Telegram, warning them: “You are completely under our surveillance. We know what crimes you have committed against the Iranian people. We have identified you and all your associates. Surrender or escape. There will be no second warning.”
As a result, there are reports that Iranian regime security officials have been forced to adopt new tactics to evade IDF targets, including disguising themselves as women.
The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) think tank had already observed in the first week of the war that Israel was targeting Tehran’s Basij base to weaken the regime’s ability to maintain domestic control.
ISW reported that commercial satellite imagery showed that as of March 6, at least 9 of Tehran’s 23 bases in the Basij region had been targeted.
Thousands of people attended Tehran’s annual Quds Day rally on Friday in a show of strength and defiance aimed at demonstrating the regime’s support for the Palestinians.
President Masoud Pezeshkian and senior officials including Ali Larijani gathered in Ferdowsi Square, where the crowd chanted anti-American and anti-Israel slogans.
Shortly before the explosion in the square during the rally, Israel warned residents to evacuate the area in a Farsi-language social media post. Iranian state media reported that one person died.
The head of Iran’s judiciary, Ghulam Hussein Mohseni Ejei, was being interviewed on state television when the explosion occurred. Surrounded by security personnel, he said Iran “will never retreat under this rain and missiles.”
Larijani told Iranian media that the attack was a “sign of desperation” for Israel.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, an elite force of about 125,000 troops who answer entirely to the Ayatollah, have been designated a terrorist organization by the European Union, the United States, Canada, Australia and other countries.
Following the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the IRGC is believed to be operating in a decentralized manner under orders issued before the war amid questions about the status and capabilities of his son and newly appointed successor Mojtaba Khamenei.
