More Than 6,000 Arrested in Protests
Radan addressed the protests that erupted over the cost of living and currency collapse, which quickly evolved into broader anti-regime demonstrations. He characterized the unrest as a "complete coup" orchestrated by foreign enemies.
The security commander revealed that more than 6,000 people have been arrested since those protests began. "We will not forget those who participated," he warned. "We will continue to pursue them." The message was unmistakable: anyone who took to the streets, or who does so now, is not viewed by the regime as a "protester" but as an agent of the enemy.
The declaration comes against a backdrop of heightened regional tensions, with Iran engaged in ongoing confrontation with the United States and Israel. The regime is exploiting the external "state of war" to justify an especially heavy hand internally.
By defining demonstrators as "traitors to the homeland," the regime effectively equates them, legally and operationally, with enemy combatants on a battlefield, opening the door to the use of lethal force without hesitation.
Radan stressed the unity among all security branches: the police are no longer merely a civilian law enforcement body, but an integral part of the internal combat apparatus, alongside the army, the Revolutionary Guards, and the Basij militia.
Broadcasting these statements on state television was designed to instill fear. The regime recognizes the potential for renewed unrest and is attempting to suffocate any organizing effort before it reaches the streets.
Radan's remarks continue a pattern of harsh declarations from senior officials portraying any popular protest as part of a foreign conspiracy. But at this particular moment, with the country under heavy external pressure, his words carry additional weight: the regime is announcing to the public, loudly and clearly, that it is prepared to shoot.
