Erbil, Kurdistan Region — Iranian authorities on Saturday deployed a notorious Afghan militia in the streets of Tehran as a way of intimidating locals, as security forces continue a crackdown, detaining thousands of people on charges of collaboration with the enemy.
Dozens of vehicles belonging to the Fatemiyoun Brigade, an Afghan Shiite militia created and trained by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), marched through the streets of the capital, waving their ubiquitous yellow flags as well as the Afghan flag.
The Quds Force, the branch of the IRGC responsible for extraterritorial operations and formerly led by General Qasem Soleimani, deployed these Afghan fighters to Syria after the Syrian civil war broke out in 2011 and used them as frontline troops against rebels and other forces opposed to President Bashar al-Assad’s regime. They remained in Syria until the downfall of the Assad regime in late 2024.
The use of the Afghan militia coincides with the arrival of several convoys of Iraqi Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) in Iran carrying aid. PMF fighters said on social media that they were ready to give their blood to protect the Islamic Republic.
Iran, and in particular the IRGC, appears to be relying heavily on its support base and proxy forces to reinforce its internal security, as Israeli and US aircraft carpet-bomb its bases across the country.
Iranian human rights activists have previously reported the use of Iraqi and Afghan militias by the IRGC and its notorious Basij militia in crackdowns against waves of protests that have engulfed the country in recent years.
The US and Israel have carried out close to 20,000 strikes across the country since February 28, leveling many security bases and killing scores of top commanders, as well as the overall commander of the country’s armed forces, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Iran has responded by launching 95 waves of missile and drone barrages against Israel, US bases, and civilian infrastructure across Gulf countries, Iraq, and the Kurdistan Region.
The IRGC has also sealed off the strategic Strait of Hormuz, restricting the flow of crude oil, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and other commodities, resulting in sharp increases in global oil prices.
President Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Saturday to issue another ultimatum to authorities in Tehran: “Remember when I gave Iran ten days to MAKE A DEAL or OPEN UP THE HORMUZ STRAIT. Time is running out — 48 hours before all hell will rain down on them. Glory be to GOD!”
Iran on Saturday hanged two more political prisoners, accusing them of ties to an armed opposition group, as authorities vowed to crack down on anyone who assists the enemy during the war.
Thousands of people have been arrested since the beginning of the war on February 28 for taking photos and videos of strike sites, and have been charged with collaboration with the enemy.
Human rights organizations have warned of another wave of executions in the country, as authorities in Tehran call on their support base to take to the streets to defend the regime.
Comments
Rudaw moderates all comments submitted on our website. We welcome comments which are relevant to the article and encourage further discussion about the issues that matter to you. We also welcome constructive criticism about Rudaw.
To be approved for publication, however, your comments must meet our community guidelines.
We will not tolerate the following: profanity, threats, personal attacks, vulgarity, abuse (such as sexism, racism, homophobia or xenophobia), or commercial or personal promotion.
Comments that do not meet our guidelines will be rejected. Comments are not edited – they are either approved or rejected.
Post a comment