ISW: Iran fears that holiday celebrations could catalyze anti-regime demonstrations

Iranian leaders likely fear that the holiday celebrations could catalyze anti-regime demonstrations, said the US Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Report informs.

The Iranian regime is preparing to deploy its security services to deter and likely crack down on the planned demonstrations during the upcoming Iranian holidays.
Tehran Provincial Law Enforcement Commander Brigadier General Abbas Ali Mohammadian reiterated the regime's plans to securitize on March 13, stating that security forces will be deployed throughout Tehran starting on March 14 to confront "those who disturb the peace".

Student poisonings occurred on March 11, 12, and 13 in Iranian provinces that saw significant protest activity during the Mahsa Amini protest movement. Most student poisonings on March 11-13 took place in Khuzestan and Kurdistan Provinces-two provinces that saw significant protest activity during the Mahsa Amini movement.

Iranian public figures continue to suggest that the regime or regime-adjacent actors are in some way responsible for the poisoning campaign primarily targeting schoolgirls in recent months. Former reformist President Mohammad Khatami criticized the regime for "acting as if nothing had happened" rather than immediately confronting the "crime."