'Enemy at home': Iranian authorities tighten grip as war ragesIranians have found themselves caught between US-Israeli bombs and their government as authorities deploy heavy security. (Photo: AFP)PARIS (FRANCE) - War has emptied the usually traffic-jammed streets of Iran's capital, but Islamic republic authorities have filled them with checkpoints and security forces as they tighten their grip on the population. The powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) "has closed almost every main street with armed personnel and heavy machine guns to frighten people", a 30-year-old Tehran resident told AFP from Paris. - 'Fear and intimidation' -Tehran residents told AFP many of the security forces were from the Basij -- a volunteer militia under the IRGC tasked with maintaining public order. An engineer living in Tehran said security forces "roam the streets on their own, creating fear and intimidation, checking people's phones, going through them, and harassing people".

Source: Bangkok Post March 05, 2026 23:03 UTC