Motorcycle patrols swarm Iranian cities, checkpoints rise as regime braces for unrest

Iranian security forces have stepped up their presence in Tehran and other cities, with motorcycle patrols, checkpoints and forces positioned across major urban areas as authorities brace for possible unrest, multiple sources inside Iran told Fox News Digital.

The security buildup comes as university students have returned to the streets in Tehran, protesting compulsory hijab rules, rising education costs and political repression, videos published on Iran International show.

Sources inside Iran confirmed to Fox News Digital that motorcycle units have been operating across Tehran and other cities during events surrounding Iran’s annual “Sacred Defense Week,” while members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Basij and law enforcement have been positioned at major squares and other locations.

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The sources also said security personnel have stopped pedestrians, searched some individuals and examined mobile phones, including material authorities consider “anti-regime.”

One source in Tehran told Fox News Digital that the heightened security presence extends beyond what is visible on the streets. 

“Motorcyclists taking photos of shops, and prisoners being threatened and forced to tell their families not to physically participate in any protests that might arise,” the source said.

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The source said Basij members who previously received military training have been placed on alert and are being housed or assembled at educational facilities and large properties on the outskirts of Tehran.

The measures were not limited to the capital. “This situation exists in all cities, but the nature of the presence and the way things are organized differ,” the source told Fox News Digital, citing information received from Borujen, Isfahan and other cities.

“In those places, plainclothes agents are more prevalent and try to remain out of public view; however, in Tehran, they appear openly on the streets in military uniforms and gear specifically to instill fear and terror,” the source said, adding that leave had also been canceled in smaller cities and claimed shops, telephone communications and everyday activities were under increased surveillance.

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Iranian journalist Mehdi Ghadimi, who lives outside Iran after years of opposition activity, separately told Fox News Digital that he had received similar accounts.

“I’ve received reports of new checkpoints being set up in Tehran, and there have also been reports of military forces being put on alert, as well as civilians who had previously been trained by the regime for urban repression being called up,” Ghadimi added that people are being detained on espionage charges simply because they communicate with people outside of Iran.

Ghadimi also said he had received reports that individuals with serious criminal records had been released from prison in exchange for reporting to local Basij bases and participating in the suppression of demonstrations.

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The accounts follow a report from the National Council of Resistance of Iran’s (NCRI’s) Committee on Security and Counterterrorism alleging that Iranian authorities ordered a “100%” state of readiness for the Army, IRGC, Basij and law enforcement and canceled leave through Sept. 27. The NCRI also claimed 51,000 personnel had been deployed across Greater Tehran, including 30,000 IRGC and Basij members and 21,000 law enforcement personnel. The reported preparations are taking place as signs of public unrest have begun resurfacing on university campuses. Fox News Digital has not independently confirmed those claims.

Students at Allameh Tabataba’i University in Tehran held a protest Monday against compulsory hijab, rising tuition and university living conditions, according to videos reported by Iran International on Sept. 28 and 29. Students were recorded chanting against the morality police and political repression.

Iran International reported that the protest began over tuition, dormitory and food costs before expanding into broader political chants. The outlet, citing the student publication Amirkabir, reported that Basij members attempted to disrupt the gathering and threatened students.

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The protests also come amid renewed pressure over compulsory hijab rules on university campuses. On Sept. 8, Iran International reported that a senior official in the office representing Iran’s supreme leader at universities said a new compulsory-hijab directive for universities had been drafted and was expected to be issued by the ministries overseeing higher education.

Separately, the IRGC escalated its rhetoric toward Washington on Tuesday, with spokesman Hossein Mohebbi calling on Americans to pressure President Donald Trump’s administration. “This lying administration must be changed,” Mohebbi said at a Tehran press conference, according to Reuters video distributed Sept. 29.

His remarks came as U.S. and Iranian officials continued indirect contacts through mediators in an effort to end the seven-month conflict, Reuters reported.

The combination of visible security preparations and renewed demonstrations is fueling speculation among Iranians about whether the country could face another broader wave of unrest.

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“The reality is that nobody knows what’s going to happen,” Ghadimi told Fox News Digital. “Everyone I talk to says that this situation cannot continue and that, somehow, it has to come to an end.”