As anti-regime protests spread across Iran for a 12th straight day, the Islamic Republic has reportedly turned to foreign militias for support, with two independent sources confirming that roughly 850 Hezbollah, Iraqi militia and Quds Force–linked fighters crossed into Iran to bolster the regime’s security forces.
The reported movement marks a significant escalation in the regime’s response, signaling a willingness to rely on allied foreign militias with combat experience to help suppress domestic dissent.
‘This is nothing new for the regime. It is the logical extension of a playbook the ruling clerics have used since 1979 to outsource repression to ideologically loyal militias and then integrate them into the state’s coercive infrastructure,’ Iran expert Lisa Daftari told Fox News Digital.
‘From the Basij and Revolutionary Guard, which were built to crush internal dissent under the banner of defending the revolution, to today’s deployment of foreign proxies like Hezbollah and Iraqi Popular Mobilization units, the regime is signaling once again that it treats its own population the way it has long treated regional battlefields. The message is clear — The mullahs don’t care about the Iranian people. They are willing to go to any extent to blur the line between domestic policing and transnational militancy to preserve their grip on power.’
Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the reported use of foreign proxy forces could reflect growing concerns within the regime about internal cohesion among Iran’s own security services.
‘Since protests dating back to 2009, there were always allegations of Arabic being heard on the street,’ Ben Taleblu told Fox News Digital. ‘As the contest between the state and the street continues to heat up, all eyes will be on Iran’s security forces to see if they defect or disobey orders to crack down. The problem is, so is the regime. And to that end, the Islamic Republic may have devised a failsafe for itself against popular anger. Foreign proxies. Whether Lebanese Hezbollah, Iraqi Shiite militias, or the Afghan Fatemiyoun, their function would be the same: to fire on Iranians when other Iranians won’t.’
Earlier reporting from Iran International also indicated that Iraqi Shiite militia reinforcements were deployed to Iran in early January to assist in suppressing protests. Estimates placed the number of fighters at roughly 800, with militants reportedly crossing the border under the pretense of religious pilgrimages before gathering up at a base in Ahvaz and being dispatched to various regions.
The U.N. Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq Ghulam Isaczai replied to a Fox News Digital question about the Iraqi militias, saying he had no knowledge of the matter and that it was ‘new to him.’
Iran’s nationwide uprising entered its twelfth day on Thursday as protests and violent clashes were reported in more than 200 cities across 26 provinces, underscoring the breadth of unrest driven by economic collapse and long-standing political grievances.
Videos circulating Thursday showed demonstrators tearing the Iranian flag in northern Iran as protests fueled by soaring inflation, currency devaluation and deep discontent with the country’s theocratic leadership continued to spread.
Rights groups and independent monitoring organizations say at least 38 people have been killed and more than 2,200 arrested since demonstrations began in late December.
While protests initially centered on Tehran, confrontations have expanded into western provinces, including Kermanshah, Lorestan, Ilam and Kurdish regions. Iranian authorities have responded by deploying numerous security forces, imposing internet blackouts and enforcing curfews in some areas in an effort to suppress the unrest.
The unrest comes as Iran’s economy continues to deteriorate. Tehran has warned suppliers against hoarding and price gouging as the rial collapses against the dollar, exacerbating public frustration and fueling daily demonstrations.
International concern is mounting as analysts warn that sustained nationwide unrest combined with the reported deployment of foreign militia forces could redefine Iran’s internal instability and carry broader regional security implications, particularly as U.S. warnings and sanctions pressure intensifies.
Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.