Hijacking, riots and explosions: Iran’s regime tested amid tensions

On Thursday, someone attempted to hijack a plane that was leaving from Ahvaz, the southwestern city in an area that has a large Arab minority. The plane was flying to Mashhad. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stopped the hijacking. Reports indicate they have armed men on many flights in Iran to stop scenarios like this.

But the unusual nature of the mysterious hijacking shows that people are willing to use dire means and violence to get their way. It is not clear, because Iran is an opaque country, whether this was political, terrorist or some other demand that led to the hijacking.

On the other side of Iran from Ahvaz, in Sistan-Baluchistan province near Pakistan, there are continuing tensions and clashes. These began after Iran’s IRGC opened fire on alleged fuel smugglers, killing at least ten. The unrest has continued for weeks in the area.

Once again, not everything is known about the extent of the chaos because much is censored and this is a rural border area in the southeast, next to Pakistan. According to one report, the IRGC has sought to interdict the smuggling by digging tunnels or holes on the border. It’s not entirely clear how that helps stop the smuggling. Explosions have been reported in the area. Government buildings have been targeted by dissidents.

Iran is also cracking down on Kurdish activists, particularly women. In January, reports emerged that Iran had detained three female Kurdish activists. They were transferred to an IRGC detention center in Urmia. The reports said that at least 24 Kurdish civilians were detained in January.

The increase in arrests of Kurds by the IRGC is part of the same pattern in Balochistan and in Ahvaz. It is not like these three incidents are all just random. In each area, the corps has usurped the powers of the government to conduct most of Iran’s operations. In each place, it is also clear that unrest is boiling beneath the surface. The face that Iran tries to project beyond its borders, of power and strength, belies a very real series of problems closer to home.

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The overall context is that Iran is also suffering from COVID, trying out various travel regulations and trying to cope with continued sanctions. Although it says that its indigenous industry can keep up with the challenges, it has invested heavily in weapons, like ballistic missiles, and neglects some industry at home.