Iran security forces deploy checkpoints as student protests resurface

Key Points:

• Iranian security forces, including motorcycle patrols and checkpoints, have increased their presence in Tehran and other cities amid rising concerns of potential unrest linked to student protests against compulsory hijab rules, education costs, and political repression.
• Reports indicate that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Basij, and law enforcement personnel have been deployed extensively, with alleged cancellation of leaves and a state of full readiness ordered for security forces through late September.
• Security measures include pedestrian stops, searches of individuals and mobile phones, and surveillance activities, with heightened monitoring extending beyond Tehran to other cities where plainclothes agents operate more discreetly.
• Students at Allameh Tabataba’i University recently protested tuition hikes and living conditions, with demonstrations escalating to broader political dissent and attempts by Basij members to disrupt gatherings.
• The situation is marked by uncertainty, as experts and insiders suggest the ongoing tensions and security buildup could signal the potential for a larger wave of unrest, while Iran’s IRGC continues to escalate rhetoric toward the U.S. amid indirect diplomatic contacts.