Equipping Law Enforcement in Sistan and Baluchestan with Armored Vehicles; Users: It's for Suppression

Following the news of equipping law enforcement in Sistan and Baluchestan with bulletproof armored vehicles, social media users have deemed the purpose of this action to be the suppression of the people in the streets. Dostali Jalilian, the police chief of Sistan and Baluchestan, stated on Thursday, November 25, that the aim of deploying tactical vehicles known as 'Tornado' is to 'enhance security and seriously confront bandits, drug traffickers, and those disturbing security.' According to Fars News Agency, close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, these vehicles are manufactured by the Ministry of Defense of the Islamic Republic and are used for 'combat support missions and movement in war and operational areas.' These vehicles are described as 'mine-resistant and ambush-protected.' Previously, the Khabar Online website reported that the production line for the 'Tornado' armored vehicles was established in 2018 for delivery to border police and the IRGC. According to this report, the bulletproof 'Tornado' vehicle can carry 10 passengers and has 8 firing ports for shooting from inside. In this context, social media users, pointing to the deprivation of Sistan and Baluchestan, have claimed that the Iranian government's aim with this action is 'to suppress the people' and 'massacre' the population. One user wrote: 'There is no budget for alleviating deprivation in Sistan and Baluchestan, but the best equipment is provided for suppressing the people.' Cities in this province, especially Zahedan, have witnessed the extensive presence of security and military forces of the Islamic Republic amid ongoing weekly protests in recent months and during the nationwide protests of 2022. Another user referred to the IRGC and the Islamic Republic government as 'criminals and traffickers,' stating: 'By officially sending these tools, you have entered into action for the massacre of the people of Baluchestan.' Another user noted the poverty of the people in Sistan and Baluchestan, writing: 'The people of Sistan have no water or food. You send armored vehicles, then you talk about the people of Gaza.' Sistan and Baluchestan is considered one of the deprived provinces of Iran, and its residents face poverty, unemployment, and health and educational deprivation. One user also pointed out the water scarcity issue in this deprived province, stating: 'Yet still, no drinking water.' The Research Center of the Parliament recently reported that the water reserves of the semi-deep wells in Sistan and Baluchestan are less than 10 percent and described the water situation in this province as 'very critical.' In this regard, Hojjat Mirzaei, a researcher, told the November 25 issue of the 'Shargh' newspaper that, according to a report prepared for the Ministry of Labor in 2021, over 80 percent of the rural population and 45 percent of the urban population in Sistan and Baluchestan are poor, and the per capita income in Tehran is estimated to be five times that of Sistan and Baluchestan. He noted that the life expectancy of men in this province is 8 to 10 years and women six years less than the national average. A heavy security atmosphere prevails in Zahedan; government forces have blocked the streets. A fuel vehicle overturned in the absence of a school service; the condition of a student is 'critical,' and the education department denied it. Increased pressure on Molavi Abdulhamid and continued arrests in Zahedan; a cameraman from Makki Mosque was arrested. The water crisis in Sistan and Baluchestan amid disputes between government institutions.