The SAS (سازمان اطلاعات سپاه) has launched a multi-dimensional "hybrid" crackdown focused on digital infiltration, cognitive manipulation, and the use of double agents to dismantle protest networks.

Coercion, Control, and Deterrence: Iran’s Strategy to Withstand Internal Unrest and External Threats

Iran is threatening regional escalation to deter a U.S./Israeli strike, warning neighbors they will be treated as combatants. At home, it is crushing protests via a total blackout and framing unrest as foreign terrorism to justify repression.

The regime’s priority is survival: it is likely to intensify coercion while managing optics and blame to reduce the risk of a US-Israel intervention trigger.

From Chants to Confrontation: Rasht’s Escalation May Mark a New Phase in the Ongoing Protest Movement.

Iran’s media has branded protesters as foreign-backed terrorists to justify a crackdown. Tehran’s prosecutor is invoking moharebeh (a death-eligible charge)