Since the end of the missile war between Israel, the United States Iran has been cracking down on their citizens. This scenario has been repeated through the 50 year rule of the Ayatollah’s and their theocratic regime.
“I cried once when the war started, and again when the ceasefire was announced,” a 37-year-old woman from Rasht, who declined to be named out of fear of safety concerns, told ABC News. “We fear the Islamic Republic just as much as we fear Israel (ABCNews).
On June 27th Iran executed 3 men charged with spying for Israel (the most common charge) after a speedy private trial. Hundreds of others have been detained (Time). As of July 6 Iran has arrested over 700 people.
Iran is targeting minorities for perceived disloyalty, which will almost certainly reinforce pre-existing anti-regime sentiment and could spark more unrest over time. British media reported on July 6 that armed Iranian “intelligence agents” have conducted dozens of coordinated raids across Iran targeting Bahai religious minority members.[1] Iranian authorities reportedly seized electronic devices, personal belongings, and religious material that is being treated as contraband.[2] Bahai members have frequently been accused of espionage and anti-regime activities. Institute for the Study of War
Typically the government of the Ayatollah Khomeini and the Ayatollah Khamenei have persecuted Kurds, Bahai, Yazidis and other minority groups when it perceives a threat. This action appeals to biases in the general population and allows the regime to pass the blame for their failures on to minority groups.