Iranian authorities have intensified their crackdown following recent nationwide unrest, suspending the reformist newspaper Ham-Mihan and threatening harsh legal action against protesters and their alleged supporters. The moves signal an escalating campaign to silence dissent and control narratives about demonstrations that swept across the country in early January.
According to Iran International, Iran's Press Supervisory Board suspended the Tehran-based daily Ham-Mihan after it published articles documenting the unrest. The newspaper's editor told Khabaronline that authorities cited two articles as grounds for the suspension: an editorial titled "From Dey 1357 to Dey 1403" published on January 25, and journalist Elaheh Mohammadi's piece "When the boundaries of treatment were broken," which appeared under the headline "The hospital story from Ilam to Sina" on January 17.
Ham-Mihan's reporting provided rare details about the scope of protests, claiming demonstrations occurred in more than 100 cities nationwide. The newspaper reported significant casualties in Izeh and Ramhormoz, approximately 10 deaths among vulnerable populations in Mashhad, and noted that most detainees were between 20 and 25 years old. The publication acknowledged that determining the full scale of casualties remained difficult due to internet shutdowns and the absence of official figures.
Iranian officials have responded with threats of severe punishment. Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei announced on Monday that authorities would prosecute not only foreign governments but also individuals accused of supporting the unrest, whether inside Iran or abroad. He vowed to treat as criminals anyone who "called for it" or provided "financial support, propaganda support or weapons," specifically naming the United States and Israel as targets.
National police chief Ahmadreza Radan echoed this hardline stance, pledging to pursue those involved "to the last person." Using language that framed protesters as "rioters and terrorists," Radan claimed many had already been detained and confessed. Earlier on Friday, Ejei had emphasized that swift punishment would serve as a deterrent, calling for expedited trials without delay.
The crackdown has been accompanied by inflammatory political rhetoric. During a parliamentary session Monday, Iranian lawmakers likened US President Donald Trump to the biblical Pharaoh while casting Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei as Moses. In a statement read aloud, parliament members warned that Khamenei would "make Trump and his allies taste humiliation" and threatened to "drown you in the sea of the anger of believers and the oppressed of the world."
Photo: Iran International