Experts say the precision strikes could shift the balance of power in the event of future unrest.
For decades, one of the most visible expressions of state power in Iran has not been found in government buildings or military bases, but in the streets.
Checkpoints operated by the Basij militia, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and police have long been embedded in everyday life in Iran. Positioned at major intersections, highways, and neighborhood hubs, they’ve functioned as constant reminders of the state’s reach into the private lives of its citizens.
Now, that system is being directly targeted. In recent days, Israel has significantly expanded its military operations inside Iran, focusing on strategic targets to include the Islamic Republic’s internal enforcement network. Strikes have increasingly concentrated on Basij checkpoints, police stations, and mobile security units across major cities, particularly in the capital city of Tehran.
On March 17, Israeli forces reportedly killed Gholamreza Soleimani, the commander of the Basij. According to Israeli military statements on March 17, as well as videos received from inside Iran, Basij positions at more than 10 locations across Tehran were struck within a short period of time.
One of the targeted sites was reportedly operating from a former soccer club, highlighting the extent to which security forces are embedded within civilian environments.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has suggested that these operations are intended to create conditions that will allow Iranians to act. In practical terms, this has been interpreted by some analysts as an effort to degrade the regime’s forces while maintaining aerial dominance, particularly through drone operations.
“This is about removing the regime’s tools of repression at the street level,” Middle East historian Shahram Kholdi told the Persian-language edition of The Epoch Times. “At the same time, maintaining aerial presence, especially through drones, can create a form of protective space if protests return to the streets.”
Kholdi noted that Basij forces have already signaled that they may retaliate against civilians if pressure eases. “There have been threats that if a cease-fire happens, they will take revenge on the people,“ he said. ”In that context, continued aerial monitoring, by Israeli or even U.S. assets, could play a role in limiting that violence and giving civilians some level of protection.”
