DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iranian security forces have initiated a crackdown targeting members of the country’s reformist movement, according to reports published on Monday. This move represents an escalation of efforts to suppress dissent following violent nationwide protests that resulted in thousands of deaths and the detention of tens of thousands.
Among those detained is Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, who has received an additional prison sentence of over seven years. This is indicative of a broader strategy to silence opposition to the brutal repression of protests by Iran's theocratic regime, especially as new nuclear negotiations with the United States loom. President Donald Trump has warned of the possibility of military action against Iran if a satisfactory deal is not reached.
Reports from within the reformist camp indicate that at least four members have been arrested, including Azar Mansouri, the head of the Reformist Front which unites several reformist factions. Also apprehended was Mohsen Aminzadeh, a former diplomat under reformist President Mohammad Khatami. Notably, Ebrahim Asgharzadeh, who played a significant role during the 1979 storming of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, is also among those detained.
The arrests appear to be related to a statement made by reformist leaders in January, which called for the resignation of Iran's 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and proposed establishing a transitional governing council. The Tehran state-run IRNA news agency reported that prosecutors in the capital asserted that the arrested individuals were accused of "organizing and leading activities aimed at disrupting the political and social situation in the country amid military threats from the United States and the Zionist regime."
Ali Vaez, an Iran expert at the International Crisis Group, reflected on the situation by stating, "Having bludgeoned the streets into silence with exemplary cruelty, the regime has shifted its attention inward, fixing its stare on its loyal opposition.” Vaez emphasized that the reformists are feeling the ground shift beneath them and that the regime, in its paranoia, is determined to crush dissent before it gains momentum.
However, the level of political support for the reformists within Iran remains ambiguous. During recent protests, chants of "Death to Khamenei!" and calls for support of the exiled crown prince reflected widespread anger that seemingly encompasses all politicians affiliated with the Islamic Republic, including reformists.
Last week, the U.S. and Iran engaged in new nuclear discussions in Oman. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, addressing diplomats at a Tehran summit, affirmed that Iran would maintain its stance on the necessity of uranium enrichment—a key point of contention in negotiations with Trump, who previously bombed Iranian atomic sites amid the 12-day Iran-Israel war.
This week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to visit Washington, during which discussions about Iran are expected to dominate the agenda. Concurrently, the U.S. has deployed the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and additional military assets to the Middle East to exert pressure on Iran and maintain the means to carry out a strike if deemed necessary by Trump.
Lastly, Iran issued a warning to pilots regarding planned "rocket launches" in Semnan province, likely associated with the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The Imam Khomeini Spaceport, located in this region, has previously been a site for such missile tests, particularly commemorating significant events in Iran’s revolutionary history.
