Accounts from multiple cities describe a pattern of increased checkpoints, armed deployments and organized nightly gatherings, with many residents saying the measures appear aimed at controlling the population rather than addressing external threats.
Witnesses said checkpoints have been set up across urban areas, often staffed by masked security personnel and Basij volunteers, some described as very young.
Vehicles carrying heavy weapons, including machine guns, have been stationed at major intersections, with officers pointing weapons toward passing cars.
“Many of them are very young, some as young as teenagers,” one resident said, adding that “the feeling for me and many others is fear.”
Residents said the checkpoints have disrupted daily life, causing heavy traffic and repeated stops. Some described being questioned without clear cause, while others said their phones were searched.
“It feels like they are looking for any small excuse to harass people or even arrest them,” a resident said.
Reports of such measures have come not only from major cities but also smaller towns, where residents described patrol vehicles moving through streets with mounted weapons.
In one account, security forces were said to require drivers to turn off their headlights when entering checkpoints.
Nightly pro-government rallies
Alongside the security presence, residents reported nightly pro-government gatherings in many cities, often involving convoys of vehicles, loudspeakers and armed escorts.
In several locations, groups of supporters were seen moving through streets broadcasting slogans such as “Death to America” and “Death to Israel,” while others chanted religious slogans at high volume.
Residents said the gatherings often continued late into the night or early morning hours.
“These gatherings create more anger than fear,” one resident said, adding that even small groups were accompanied by armed personnel.
Others described loudspeakers mounted on vehicles or in neighborhoods broadcasting chants and songs through the night. “They disrupt the entire neighborhood,” a resident said, describing noise that continued into the early hours.
Some residents said the gatherings included participants wearing symbolic clothing and issuing verbal threats, while others reported that passing cars were stopped and checked if occupants were seen using mobile phones.
Across multiple accounts, residents described the measures as coordinated and sustained over recent weeks, coinciding with intensified military activity in the region.
“There is a clear pattern in how these actions are carried out at night,” one source said, adding that the focus appeared to be on “creating fear and preventing any form of protest.”
While state media has highlighted military activity and messaging around national defense, residents said their primary concerns remain daily living conditions and personal safety.
“We are struggling to get by,” one resident said. “People are worried about their lives, not these displays.”
