Iranian Motorcycle Patrols and Checkpoints Rise Amid Unrest Fears

Iranian authorities have reinforced security operations in Tehran and several other cities, deploying motorcycle patrols, checkpoints and personnel at key urban sites as officials prepare for the possibility of renewed unrest, according to multiple sources inside Iran who spoke to News Media.

The heightened security comes as university students have once again taken to the streets in Tehran. Videos published by Iran International show demonstrations over compulsory hijab regulations, increasing education expenses and political repression.

Sources in Iran told News Media that motorcycle units have been active in Tehran and other cities during events linked to the annual “Sacred Defense Week.” Members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Basij paramilitary force and regular law enforcement have also been stationed at major intersections, squares and other prominent locations.

The sources said security personnel have been stopping pedestrians, searching some people and checking mobile phones for content authorities may classify as “anti-regime.”

The reports come after the National Council of Resistance of Iran’s (NCRI’s) Committee on Security and Counterterrorism alleged that the Army, IRGC, Basij and law enforcement had been placed on “100%” alert, with leave canceled through Sept. 27. The NCRI further claimed that 51,000 personnel were deployed across Greater Tehran, including 30,000 IRGC and Basij members and 21,000 law enforcement officers. News Media has not independently verified those figures or the broader claims. The reported mobilization coincides with renewed signs of discontent on university campuses.

One Tehran source said the security operation reaches well beyond the uniformed forces visible on city streets.

“Motorcyclists are photographing shops, while prisoners are being threatened and pressured to tell their families not to take part in any protests that may emerge,” the source said.

According to the source, Basij members with previous military training have been placed on standby and are being housed or gathered at schools and large compounds on Tehran’s outskirts.

The security measures reportedly extend across the country rather than being confined to the capital. “This situation exists in all cities, but the nature of the presence and the way things are organized differ,” the source told News Media, referring to information from Borujen, Isfahan and other locations.

The source said plainclothes agents are more common outside Tehran, where they seek to avoid public attention. In the capital, however, security personnel have appeared openly in military uniforms and equipment in what the source described as an effort to intimidate residents. The source also said leave had been canceled in smaller cities and that authorities were increasing surveillance of businesses, phone communications and daily activities.

Iranian journalist Mehdi Ghadimi, who now lives outside the country after years of opposition activity, told News Media that he had received comparable reports.

“I’ve received reports of new checkpoints being set up in Tehran, along with reports that military forces have been placed on alert and that civilians previously trained by the regime for urban repression are being called up,” Ghadimi said. He added that people were being detained on espionage accusations simply for communicating with individuals outside Iran.

Ghadimi also said he had heard that people with serious criminal records were released from prison on the condition that they report to local Basij bases and help authorities suppress demonstrations.

Students at Tehran’s Allameh Tabataba’i University protested Monday over compulsory hijab rules, higher tuition and living conditions on campus, according to videos reported by Iran International on Sept. 28 and 29. The footage showed students chanting against the morality police and broader political repression.

Iran International reported that the gathering initially focused on tuition, dormitory and food expenses before turning into a wider protest against the government. Citing the student outlet Amirkabir, the news organization said Basij members tried to break up the demonstration and threatened participants.

The campus protests are also unfolding amid renewed debate over the enforcement of compulsory hijab rules at universities. On Sept. 8, Iran International reported that a senior official in the supreme leader’s university representative office said a new mandatory-hijab directive had been drafted and was expected to be issued by the ministries responsible for higher education.

Separately, the IRGC escalated its rhetoric toward Washington on Tuesday, with spokesman Hossein Mohebbi calling on Americans to pressure President Donald Trump’s administration. “This lying administration must be changed,” Mohebbi said at a Tehran press conference, according to Reuters video distributed Sept. 29.

His remarks came as U.S. and Iranian officials continued indirect contacts through mediators in an effort to end the seven-month conflict, Reuters reported.

The combination of visible security preparations and renewed demonstrations is fueling speculation among Iranians about whether the country could face another broader wave of unrest.

“The reality is that nobody knows what’s going to happen,” Ghadimi told News Media. “Everyone I talk to says that this situation cannot continue and that, somehow, it has to come to an end.”