Israel Targets Tehran Regime’s Repression Infrastructure

Latest Developments

• Israel Targets Tehran Regime’s Repression Force: Israel escalated its strikes against members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Basij paramilitary force in Iran on March 17, targeting a key element of the regime’s repression of anti-government protesters. According to Iran International, “around 300 Basij commanders and field officials were killed in a wave of overnight strikes.” The IDF published footage of one strike on a Basij checkpoint, while the army’s Persian-language X account stated that “we … will hunt down Basij members at checkpoints, in tents, and in every place where they are present.” 
• Netanyahu Sends Nowruz Message to Iranian People: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu encouraged Iranians to celebrate Nowruz, the Persian New Year. “Our aircraft are hitting the terror operatives on the ground, in the crossroads, in the city squares,” Netanyahu said. “This is meant to enable the brave people of Iran to celebrate the Festival of Fire. So, celebrate, and happy Nowruz. We are watching from above.” 
• Regime’s Intelligence Minister Eliminated: The IDF announced on March 18 that it had killed Iran’s intelligence minister Esmail Khatib in a “targeted strike.” The IDF stated that “Khatib played a significant role during the recent protests throughout Iran, including the arrest and killing of protestors, and led terrorist activities against Israelis and Americans around the world.”  

FDD Expert Response

“Israel has been methodically dismantling the Iranian regime’s repression apparatus. It began with the opening salvo that eliminated the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with 49 of his top generals and advisers. It has continued daily, with the eliminations of security chief Ali Larijani, Basij commander Gholam Reza Soleimani, and now Khatib. The strategic focus on severely degrading the Basij — the regime’s instrument of murder, torture, rape, and intimidation against Iranians for decades — is essential to creating the conditions for the Iranian people, with extraordinary courage, to mobilize for a free, secure, and prosperous Iran.” — Mark Dubowitz, CEO

“The pace of Israeli attrition of Iranian leaders is staggering, and the three latest — Khatib, Soleimani, and Larijani — are murderers from the very top echelon of the Islamic Republic. There have also been many lower-level strikes targeting headquarters and even mobile patrols of the regime’s organs of oppression. Against this backdrop, Netanyahu’s call to Iranians to celebrate Nowruz is of strategic significance and could signal the moment when protesters reclaim the streets.” — Edmund Fitton-Brown, Senior Fellow 

“The United States and Israel have significantly degraded Iran’s repression infrastructure, with thousands of personnel eliminated through increasingly hyperlocal strikes. Yet the regime still commands hundreds of thousands of forces, and much of its mid-level leadership remains intact. Targeting the main body of Iran’s armed forces will be decisive in shaping any transition. Removing senior leadership raises the stakes for operational commanders, forcing them to choose between defecting and facing mounting risk.” — Janatan Sayeh, Research Analyst

FDD Background and Analysis

“Strait talk: American victory passes through Hormuz,” by Clifford D. May 

“Israel Eliminates Ali Larijani, Key Architect Behind Iranian Protest Massacres,” FDD Flash Brief

“Russia Sanctions Relief Offers Moscow a Windfall, Little Relief to Energy Markets,” by Max Meizlish

“Russian Hypocrisy on Display at the UN on Iran’s Behalf,” by Dmitriy Shapiro