Iran condemns Austria over report on advanced nuclear weapons program
Share and Follow

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

In the wake of the 12-day war between Israel and Iran, the regime appears to be turning inward — escalating repression with chilling speed. 

According to Kasra Aarabi, director of IRGC research at United Against Nuclear Iran, the Islamic Republic is accelerating toward what he said is a “North Korea-style model of isolation and control.”

“We’re witnessing a kind of domestic isolation that will have major consequences for the Iranian people,” Aarabi told Fox News Digital. “The regime has always been totalitarian, but the level of suppression now is unprecedented. It’s unlike anything we’ve seen before.”

Kim Jong Un missile test

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, supervises artillery firing drills in North Korea on Thursday, March 7, 2024. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP, File)

“Repressing the people at home is easy. That’s something they can do. So it’s not unlikely that Iran could become more insular, more autocratic, more repressive — and more similar to, let’s say, a North Korea — than what it is today. That might be the only way they see to preserve the regime: by really tightening the screws on the Iranian people, to ensure that the Iranian population doesn’t try to rise up and topple the regime,” he told Fox News Digital.

A CCTV camera in Iran

CCTV cameras are seen in a street in Tehran, Iran, April 9, 2023. (Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS)

Inside the regime’s power structure, the fallout from the war is just as severe. Aarabi said that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is facing an internal crisis of trust and an imminent purge. “These operations couldn’t have taken place without infiltration at the highest levels,” he said. “There’s immense pressure now to clean house.”

The next generation of IRGC officers — those who joined after 2000 — are younger, more radical and deeply indoctrinated. Over half of their training is now ideological. Aarabi said that these newer factions have begun turning on senior commanders, accusing them of being too soft on Israel or even collaborating with Mossad.

“In a twist of irony, Khamenei created these extreme ideological ranks to consolidate power — and now they’re more radical than he is,” Aarabi said. “He’s struggling to control them.”

A fire releases a large amount of smoke with protesters gathered around it

A police motorcycle burns during a protest over the death of Mahsa Amini, a woman who died after being arrested by the Islamic Republic’s “morality police,” in Tehran, Iran, on Sept. 19, 2022.  (WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS)

A purge is likely, along with the rise of younger, less experienced commanders with far higher risk tolerance — a shift that could make the IRGC more volatile both domestically and internationally. With Iran’s conventional military doctrine in ruins, terrorism may become its primary lever of influence.

“The regime’s three pillars — militias, ballistic missiles, and its nuclear program — have all been decapitated or severely degraded,” Aarabi said. “That leaves only asymmetric warfare: soft-target terrorism with plausible deniability.”

Kim Jong Un and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, left, and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. (AFP via Getty Images)

Despite the regime’s brutal turn inward, Aarabi insists this is a sign of weakness, not strength. “If the Islamic Republic were confident, it wouldn’t need to crush its people this way,” he said. “It’s acting out of fear. But until the regime’s suppressive apparatus is dismantled, the streets will remain silent — and regime change remains unlikely.”

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
Trump warns Russia Dmitry Medvedev of dangerous territory during Ukraine War peace attempt

Trump Cautions Russia’s Dmitry Medvedev on Risky Ground Amid Ukraine War Peace Efforts

Former President Trump issued a warning to Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s ex-president, cautioning…
Cincinnati assault: Hear 911 call after viral mob attack

Cincinnati assault: Hear 911 call after viral mob attack

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! CINCINNATI – In the…
NYPD officers line streets to honor colleague killed in Park Ave shooting

NYPD officers line streets to honor colleague killed in Park Ave shooting

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! New York City police…
Vivek Ramaswamy says Cincinnati brawl isn't about race

Vivek Ramaswamy Claims Cincinnati Fight Unrelated to Racial Issues

Graphic Warning: This story contains graphic images or video that may be…
Trump escalates ICE hiring spree with $50,000 signing bonuses

Trump Boosts ICE Recruitment Efforts with $50,000 Sign-On Incentives

With fresh funding from Donald Trump’s comprehensive bill, ICE is offering substantial…
Army helicopter that crashed with commercial plane in DC was flying above altitude limit: NTSB

Army helicopter that crashed with commercial plane in DC was flying above altitude limit: NTSB

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! The Army helicopter that…
Trump administration to construct $200 million ballroom in White House

Trump plans $200 million White House ballroom project

() The Trump administration has announced plans to construct a ballroom in…
Mystery over orange blob seen on CCTV near Epstein's jail cell

Unexplained Orange Shape Spotted on CCTV Footage Outside Epstein’s Prison Cell

Forensic specialists are raising doubts about the official US government narrative regarding…