Iran’s Protests Have Ended. The State’s Terror Campaign Has Not.

Foreign Policy

by Karen Kramer and Esfandiar Aban

February 13, 2026

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Iran’s Protests Have Ended. The State’s Terror Campaign Has Not.

Iran’s recent protests, which began in late December, were met with severe repression by security forces, resulting in thousands of civilian deaths. However, the Islamic Republic has intensified its response through a sustained campaign of post-protest terror, characterized by nighttime raids, enforced disappearances, and mass secret detentions. This systematic approach targets not only protesters but also bystanders, medical staff, lawyers, and even those who expressed support online. Security forces have conducted violent house-to-house raids in smaller cities and towns, often without warrants, stripping individuals of their rights and freedoms. Detainees are frequently held incommunicado, denied access to legal representation, and placed in unofficial detention sites such as warehouses and abandoned buildings. These black box facilities operate outside Iran’s legal framework, leaving families unable to confirm the fate of their loved ones or seek justice. The repression extends beyond physical detention; hospitals have become battlegrounds, with security forces stationed inside emergency rooms to arrest wounded protesters or pressure medical staff into complicity. This has led to a chilling effect, where many injured individuals avoid seeking treatment, resulting in preventable deaths. The targeting of smaller cities and towns underscores the regime’s ability to isolate and control less visible communities, furthering its efforts to suppress dissent. This campaign highlights the lengths authoritarian regimes will go to silence opposition and control information. By erasing accountability through secret detentions and extrajudicial practices, Iran is not only violating human rights but also undermining global efforts to promote democracy and transparency. The international community

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Originally published on Foreign Policy on 2/13/2026