Reports related to demonstrations and public protests
An image received by Iran International shows a Basij agent in Tehran taking shelter under a bridge on the evening of Thursday, March 18, due to fear of an Israeli drone attack.
The IRGC released video via state news channels showing its forces radioing ships at the Strait of Hormuz, warning that the strait is closed and no passage will be allowed.
The crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, involving Iran and the United States, is disrupting global oil markets and increasing the risk of a worldwide recession.
On Thursday, CNN reported that a U.S. F-35 fighter jet conducting a combat mission over Iran made an emergency landing at an American airbase in the Middle East after being targeted by a shot believed to be from Iran; the aircraft landed safely and is under investigation by U.S. Central Command.
On the Thursday at the end of the year, citizens gathered at Tehran’s Behesht-e Zahra cemetery to support the families of victims from the December 30 and 31 protests. Among those present were family members of Sepher Shakouri, whose mother expressed grief and anger towards those responsible for her son's death.
An Islamist militia called Al-Barra bin Malik, led by Al-Mishab Abuzeid and fighting under the Sudanese Armed Forces, has adopted a chant declaring their intent to "enter Gaza" to fight against Israel and Jews. The militia is accused of committing numerous war crimes in the ongoing Sudanese Civil War, which has resulted in at least 150,000 deaths and displaced millions since April 2023.
Opposition footage from Tehran shows Basij members taking cover under a bridge and waving a white flag, indicating fear of attacks.
On March 3, 2026, the Israeli Air Force conducted an airstrike on the IRGC Basij's Bahonar headquarters and a nearby sports complex being used as an ammunition depot and hideout in Tehran, Tehran Province, Iran.
The Israeli army released a video showing an attack on a Basij base in western Tehran, resulting in the death of a Basij guard, and declared that they will monitor and target Basij forces wherever they are located.
Iranian opposition media report that Brigadier General Afshin Naqshbandi, a key representative of the Armed Forces General Staff to the Basij paramilitary force, was killed in a U.S./Israeli airstrike in Tehran.
Yusef Pezeshkian, son of Masoud Pezeshkian, wrote on his Telegram channel that he receives messages urging surrender to return power to the people, which he dismisses as either misinformation from Israeli agents or ignorance. He further stated that recent surveys indicate the majority of Iranians support resilience against American aggression and oppose surrender.
Pete Hegseth, the U.S. Secretary of War, declared in remarks that senior positions in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Basij have become "temporary and unwanted," following extensive attacks by the U.S. and its allies that have damaged or sunk more than 120 Iranian naval vessels in the Persian Gulf.
