Raids by Islamic Republic Forces on Homes in Minab; Heavy Checkpoints in Kermanshah

Citizen reports from Minab and Kermanshah on Wednesday, July 21, indicate raids by Islamic Republic forces in areas of Minab and heavy checkpoints in Kermanshah. Mohammad Moeini, a human rights lawyer, published images of the 'widespread deployment of military forces of the Islamic Republic regime' and the attack on 'the village of Kolahi in the Minab district,' showing that government forces are 'arresting people by beating them and destroying public property.' According to reports, military forces entered the homes of residents in the Kolahi village in Minab County, Hormozgan province in southern Iran, 'searching and destroying homes' and have 'extensively' arrested several of them. Unofficial reports state that the reason for this attack is 'suspicion of fuel storage and smuggling.' Fuel carrying is one of the ways for citizens in border areas, including Hormozgan and Sistan and Baluchestan, to make a living, and previous reports indicate that fuel carriers have often been attacked by government forces, resulting in injuries and even deaths. Meanwhile, according to Malek Shariati, a member of the Energy Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, the amount of systematic liquid fuel smuggling by power plants in Iran is '1.5 billion liters' annually, while the amount of fuel carrying with private vehicles and selling smuggled fuel across the borders is 'negligible.' Additionally, reports from Kermanshah, a western province of Iran, indicate the 'establishment of checkpoints by the security agencies' of the Islamic Republic and 'searching citizens' vehicles.' According to citizen reports, checkpoints and vehicle searches have been observed on 'the eastern ring roads leading to the Pardis and Sadra towns' in Kermanshah. Furthermore, reports say 'hundreds of agents' with 'special unit vehicles with IRGC license plates,' along with 'traffic police and plainclothes Basij members, are present on the ring road and have 'surrounded the area with various heavy machinery, loaders, and cranes,' and 'armed snipers have been stationed on tall buildings.' Voice of America cannot independently verify these reports. The reason for these actions by the Islamic Republic forces is unclear. In previous days, security forces violently arrested several veterans of the Iran-Iraq war who had gathered in front of the 'Martyrs Foundation' and were chanting protest slogans. Nationwide protests that began in September 2022 following the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police continue in some areas of Iran, and as the anniversary of this incident approaches, the activities of military, police, and security officials of the Islamic Republic have increased. Sociologist Hossein Lajevardi previously told Voice of America that in the 'Mahsa movement, there was not the slightest riot or looting, but it faced severe government repression.'