Leaders of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps sought to reassure the public after Israeli strikes targeting Basij checkpoints and security facilities across Iran, raising concerns about the regime’s ability to maintain internal control during the widening conflict.
Iranian state media and IRGC officials said security forces remain in control following the strikes, which reportedly hit several Basij positions used to enforce checkpoints and monitor public activity.
The Basij is a volunteer paramilitary force subordinate to the IRGC and has played a key role in suppressing protests and enforcing government authority inside Iran.
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In a message posted on Telegram, a Basij leader commanded his forces to not abandon their posts. He told forces that Israel is “clearing the way so that by creating fear and terror, they can move operational teams across the city to the intended areas,” adding that there is “no reason” to be scared.
Israeli-linked channels and intelligence accounts indicated that strikes had targeted multiple Basij checkpoints, a development that analysts say could weaken the government’s ability to police cities and deter demonstrations.
The attacks come as Israel and the United States continue a broader campaign against Iranian military, industry, and leadership components.
The Basij force has long been used by Iran’s leadership to control dissent, particularly during periods of unrest. Members frequently operate checkpoints, conduct surveillance, and assist security forces in cracking down on protests.
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John Hannah, a former national security adviser to the late Vice President Dick Cheney, said attacks on those security structures could place the Iranian government under new internal pressure.
“Nothing good,” Hannah said when asked about the impact on the regime’s control. “The question is, is this the start of a potentially fatal blow that will catalyze major defection in security services?”
He said weakening the Basij and other internal security units could test the cohesion of the Iranian government’s enforcement apparatus.
“Will Basij members begin not showing up at these checkpoints, abandoning their posts, or will the regime manage to maintain its cohesion?” Hannah said.
Hannah said the effort by Israel Defense Forces to target IRGC facilities and command structures appears to be aimed at preventing a repeat of past crackdowns on demonstrators.
“The Israelis have been hard at work, almost since the beginning, going after major IRGC and Basij and law enforcement facilities inside Iran to really begin to weaken them,” he said.
Iran’s government has faced periodic protests in recent years, with security forces, including the Basij, deployed to disperse demonstrations and enforce curfews.
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Hannah said fracturing within the security forces could become a decisive factor if the unrest spreads.
“One of the crucial, crucial necessary elements is to see that kind of infighting, fracturing of the people that hold the guns,” he said.
