Iran Protest Crackdown and IRGC

Iranian state media on Jan. 31 released new photos of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei praying at Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s tomb, a carefully staged public appearance that exiled opposition groups say is aimed at shoring up a demoralized security apparatus, especially the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), after weeks of deadly nationwide protests. Ali Safavi of the France‑based National Council of Resistance of Iran told Fox News Digital the images are 'pure propaganda' meant less for the Iranian public than for regime forces whose cohesion is under strain and whose defections could grow if the balance of power shifts. The photo op coincided with fresh regime threats that any U.S. military action would trigger a wider regional war and with moves in the European Parliament to designate the IRGC a terrorist organization, which Safavi says is rattling lawmakers in Tehran — many of whom are former IRGC commanders — and prompting choreographed shows of unity like MPs donning Guard uniforms and proclaiming the IRGC an 'anti‑terrorism' force. The piece argues that the Guards now dominate Iran’s economy and political institutions, making their disintegration unlikely without a dramatic turn in the streets and sustained international pressure, even as casualty counts from the protest crackdown continue to climb and Western governments weigh additional sanctions and military options. For U.S. readers, the story underscores how Tehran is leaning on symbolism and information operations to project strength at the same time its most important security organ faces internal stress and growing external efforts to isolate it.