Protests in Iran
Iran’s hardliner Kayhan newspaper has proposed to form a national ‘soft war’ headquarters to deal with what it called the "hybrid war of the enemy".
According to Kayhan's proposal, the headquarters shall consist of 19 representatives from key ministries and organizations including the intelligence ministry, the Supreme National Security Council as well as the state TV.
The daily run by the hardliner editor Hossein Shariatmadari, who is Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s representative at the newspaper, has also suggested that mosques and Basij militia bases be used as the coordination centers for “regional and national action and counteraction against the enemy's soft war.”
In November, Khamenei called the ongoing anti-regime uprising following the death of Mahsa Amini a "hybrid war" led by the “enemies”.
“Enemies” in his view include the United States, Israel, Europeans, regional countries and any Iranian who is not loyal to him.
Following Khamenei’s lead, Iranian officials began to allege that the nationwide protests were instigated by foreign enemies mostly through social media.
Ali Fadavi, the second highest commander in the Revolutionary Guard, also said in October that the country’s ‘enemies’ who used to focus on ‘hard war’ against the Islamic Republic for decades have now adopted a hybrid approach, combined with soft power.