# Interior forces crack down on wartime protests during Pezeshkian’s presidency

Date: 2026

## The fact

In March 2026, during the US-Israeli war, Iranian interior and security forces cracked down on protests. [Pezeshkian](/people/masoud-pezeshkian)’s government ran the civilian interior; the IRGC remained the Leader’s.

## Context

CNN and others described him as overseeing a crackdown while his influence shrank. Neighbouring war start is 28 February. Neighbouring hijab 2024 is earlier non-repeal.

28 February war start is neighbouring. Mojtaba’s 8 March accession is neighbouring Leader change.

The President of Iran is head of the executive, not commander-in-chief of the IRGC or the armed forces. That command sits with the Supreme Leader. Pezeshkian does not write IAEA Board resolutions, [US Treasury](/organizations/us-treasury) designations, or Israeli cabinet strike orders. An IRGC operation is not automatically his Fact.

## Evidence and sources

Ministry of Interior of Iran carries the official instrument or communique. Reuters records the same dated act independently.

## Significance

The path is [democratic resilience](/drivers/democratic-resilience): a completed wartime protest crackdown is a [civic-space](/drivers/civic-space) cost on the interior the president appoints, even when the IRGC answers to the Leader.

## What is established and what is not

Established: March 2026 wartime protest crackdown, independently reported.

Not established: that he commanded every IRGC unit, or a unique later detention coefficient as a personal tally.

What would change the picture: a contradictory original with a different date or name, a later repeal, a court that vacated the instrument, or a measured series that can be argued, with lag and alternatives, as a consequence of this instrument rather than of later institutions.

The date is the date of this instrument, not a licence to back-date every later harm or benefit.

IRGC and Basij answered primarily to the Leader. Protesters marched. He did not author the US opening strike.. A later repeal, court stay, or successor order would be a different Fact with a different date. That pair identifies Interior forces crack down on wartime protests during Pezeshkian’s presidency, not a later speech about Interior forces crack down on wartime protests during Pezeshkian’s presidency.

Co-authors and later implementers named in Context remain on the file. Interior forces crack down on wartime protests during Pezeshkian’s presidency on 2026-03-15 is not a licence to treat every later Ministry of Interior of Iran communique as this same act. If a later repeal, stay, or successor instrument exists, it needs its own date and its own row. This dossier refuses to average Interior forces crack down on wartime protests during Pezeshkian’s presidency into a personality. The contribution described on this Person row is limited to He appointed the interior that policed protests. IRGC and Basij answered primarily to the Leader. Protesters marched. He did not author the US opening strike. That limit is the alternative to treating office-holding as authorship of every later series.

## People

- Masoud Pezeshkian: https://factrail.ai/people/masoud-pezeshkian
- Mojtaba Khamenei: https://factrail.ai/people/mojtaba-khamenei

## Drivers

- Democratic Resilience: https://factrail.ai/drivers/democratic-resilience
- Political Polarization: https://factrail.ai/drivers/political-polarization

## Sources

- https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iran-protests-crackdown-war-2026-03-15/
- https://www.moi.ir/

## Methodology

https://factrail.ai/methodology

Canonical: https://factrail.ai/facts/ir-war-crackdown-2026