Iran Intensifies Internal Crackdown Amid Israel Conflict, Targeting Kurdish Regions and Dissidents

 Tehran | June 26, 2025 — In the aftermath of Israeli airstrikes earlier this month, Iranian authorities have shifted focus from external confrontation to a sweeping internal crackdown, deploying security forces across the country, intensifying arrests, and executing individuals accused of espionage and dissent. The clampdown has been particularly severe in the restive Kurdish regions, according to officials and human rights activists.

Following the Israeli military campaign that began on June 13—targeting Iran’s nuclear sites and Revolutionary Guard infrastructure—Iranian security forces launched a rapid domestic response marked by expanded checkpoint operations and mass detentions. Officials confirm that security operations are now being prioritized to preempt possible unrest and infiltration by opposition groups and foreign agents.

According to one senior Iranian security official and two others briefed on internal affairs, the Islamic Republic has redirected its focus toward perceived internal threats, including Israeli intelligence networks, ethnic separatist factions, and the exiled opposition group, the People’s Mujahideen Organisation (PMOI). Revolutionary Guard and Basij paramilitary forces have been placed on high alert, with increased deployments across border regions and ethnic minority zones.

“There is deep concern that the current geopolitical situation could serve as a catalyst for domestic unrest,” said a rights activist based in Tehran, who was previously detained during the 2022 protests. “We are being extremely cautious, as the regime appears ready to use this moment as justification for broad repression.”

According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), at least 705 individuals have been detained since the conflict with Israel began. Many face charges related to national security, with several accused of spying for Israel. On Tuesday, Iranian state media reported the execution of three individuals in Urmia, a northwestern city near the Turkish border. Kurdish rights group Hengaw confirmed that all three were of Kurdish origin.

Iran’s Foreign and Interior Ministries have not responded to requests for comment.

Troop Movements and Border Surveillance

Authorities have also strengthened military presence along Iran’s borders with Pakistan, Iraq, and Azerbaijan, ostensibly to prevent cross-border infiltration. Kurdish political sources report that Revolutionary Guard units have commandeered schools and public buildings in the provinces of Kermanshah and Sanandaj, while conducting house-to-house searches for suspected opposition figures and weapon stockpiles.

Ribaz Khalili, spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (KDPI), stated that within days of the Israeli strikes, security forces had established control posts in key Kurdish areas and restricted civilian movement by closing major roads.

Fatma Ahmed, a cadre of the Free Life Party of Kurdistan (PJAK), said the party had documented over 500 arrests of Kurdish opposition members since June 13. Separately, a Komala party official, speaking anonymously, detailed extensive checkpoint operations involving physical searches and digital surveillance of civilians.

Ethnic Tensions and Historical Grievances

Iran’s Sunni Kurdish and Baluch minorities, historically marginalized under the Shi’ite-led government in Tehran, have long harbored resistance movements advocating for greater autonomy. The current security clampdown, say observers, is a continuation of Tehran’s long-standing policy of suppressing these peripheral voices, now amplified under the guise of national security.

While no large-scale protests have materialized since the latest wave of arrests, the situation remains volatile. Activists warn that continued repression may fuel deeper resentment and spark renewed unrest in the coming weeks.