IRGC dismantles terrorist cells in Iran's northeast

Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says it has dismantled two terrorist networks in the northeastern province of Khorasan Razavi, accusing the groups of links to the Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO) and monarchist movements.

In a statement released on January 20, the IRGC’s provincial branch said its intelligence units, working in coordination with the judiciary and other security agencies, had delivered a “decisive blow” to what it described as an “American-Zionist terrorist network” operating at the provincial level, Caliber.Az reports via Iranian media.

According to the statement, security forces arrested a five-member cell connected to the MKO, as well as a three-member armed group said to be affiliated with a monarchist organisation. Searches of the suspects’ hideouts reportedly led to the seizure of firearms and explosive materials.

The IRGC said the operation also resulted in the identification and dismantling of a network accused of carrying out violent acts against civilians, damaging public property, and setting fire to urban transportation and energy infrastructure, causing what it described as extensive damage.

The statement said the arrests took place in the context of what it called the recent “American-Zionist sedition,” during which, according to Iranian authorities, both security personnel and civilians were killed by what the IRGC described as terrorist elements using firearms and bladed weapons in a “Daesh-style manner.”

The IRGC said identifying those involved in such attacks remains a priority for Iran’s security and judicial bodies. It added that public cooperation and intelligence tips had contributed to identifying suspects, in some cases leading to the arrest of what it described as primary terrorist cells.

At the end of the statement, the IRGC thanked citizens for their cooperation and vigilance and urged the public to continue reporting suspicious activities and individuals through official security hotlines to help maintain stability.

The announcement comes amid broader security operations following recent unrest in Iran. Authorities say armed groups targeted civilians, security forces, and public infrastructure during the disturbances, which they allege were aimed at diverting economic protests into wider unrest.

The IRGC statement also linked the attacks to what it described as incendiary remarks by US President Donald Trump, who had threatened new military action against Iran in the event of what he called a potential confrontation between the Islamic Republic and protesters.

According to Iranian intelligence officials, the unrest involved elements backed by the United States and Israel, whom they accuse of attempting to exploit protests to create instability and pave the way for foreign aggression.

By Sabina Mammadli