Is Iran Facing Another War Within Its Borders?

Iranian authorities are confronting what they describe as another threat from within: eight people accused of links to “counterrevolutionary” and pro-monarchy organizations have been arrested, state media reported on September 6.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Fars province accused the group of using Molotov cocktails and burning tires during protests in January. The arrests come as Iran’s leadership grows increasingly concerned that fresh demonstrations could emerge while economic difficulties deepen and public dissatisfaction rises.

Some Iranians voiced support for restoring the monarchy during the January unrest and on social media. Reza Pahlavi, the exiled former crown prince whose monarchy was overthrown in the 1979 Islamic Revolution, has remained a prominent opposition figure. Al Jazeera reported that he called on people inside Iran to join widespread strikes and protests in January.

Slogans supporting Pahlavi continue to appear sporadically, but there is no evidence that a large armed pro-monarchy organization is operating inside Iran. In recent years, protests have mainly reflected economic grievances and social restrictions rather than an organized campaign to restore the monarchy.

Yet Tehran has repeatedly announced crackdowns on people allegedly connected to the former royal camp. On March 18, Iran’s Intelligence Ministry said it had dismantled 111 groups it described as pro-monarchy networks across 26 provinces and cities. Iranian officials have also accused the January protests of being a U.S.- and Israeli-backed coup plot involving supporters of the former regime.

The government faces a separate and more established armed challenge along its western frontier. Kurdish armed groups, many of which Iran classifies as terrorist organizations, have maintained bases for years in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region. Iran has repeatedly attacked those bases and sought security agreements with Baghdad to curb their activities. During the early months of the war that began in late February, the Trump administration considered using Kurdish armed groups in a ground operation, the article said.