People attend the funeral procession of 100 martyrs of the national resistance, including security forces and civilians martyred during foreign-led riots, in Tehran on January 14, 2026. (Photo by Tasnim)

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Intelligence Organization has issued a statement, outlining the "scene of struggle" against a "foreign evil enemy" and detailing its countermeasures during recent riots.

The statement issued Friday coincided with the Islamic month of Sha`ban and the observance of Pasdar Day, which honors members of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps. It also expressed solidarity with the families of martyrs of the "recent American-Zionist sedition."

"These terrorist incidents were designed in continuation of the 12-day war and influenced by the strategic failures of the ruling global powers, carried out hastily," the statement said.

It added that part of the American-Zionist grand plan, which Iranian security agencies and the vigilance of the Iranian people thwarted, involved the creation of an "enemy command room" immediately following the 12-day war.

This command room, it said, consisted of ten hostile intelligence services tasked with executing terrorist actions in Iran.

The review of documents and information obtained from this command room showed that internal unrest, military intervention, and group movement activity were the three axes of operations designed to create a moment of existential threat against Great Iran, the statement said.

In response, the IRGC Intelligence Organization said it launched "cognitive intervention and a set of intelligence operations to prevent and manage the intensity, depth, and scope of potential threats and unrest."

From June 26 to the beginning of December, the organization said it implemented a targeted operational plan to address the two components it identified as central to the unrest: internal turmoil and group activity.

The organization said the operations resulted in the arrest and summons of hundreds of individuals linked to anti-security networks and the guidance of thousands more vulnerable persons.

It reported raising awareness among social groups, professional guilds, and populations at risk and confiscating hundreds of illegal firearms, including both military and hunting weapons.

The statement added that the IRGC had identified and utilized 46 members of a network collaborating with foreign intelligence services.

The IRGC described the recent unrest as a weak and redesigned form of combined operations by foreign enemies against the Islamic system and the unity of Iran`s identity and geography.

It said the field trajectory of the unrest, codenamed "Operation Lightning Strike," included blending rioters with protesters, the direct support and involvement of foreign political and security figures, manipulation of social media algorithms and satellite network content to incite violent acts, and the use of criminal elements such as thugs, convicted armed robbers, and traffickers.

It said the unrest also involved the killing of civilians, security forces, law enforcement, and Basij members through violent and bloody encounters.

The statement outlined ongoing priorities within the IRGC Intelligence Organization.

These included tracking and infiltrating the communication infrastructure used by rioters to coordinate with foreign network leaders, operational surveillance over key elements of enemy networks along border areas, and the use of misguided individuals involved in the recent unrest within enemy networks.

The statement also described cognitive operations against the designers and executors of combined operations through infiltrated agents and the continued identification and decisive action against networks supplying street-level mobilization support, in cooperation with citizens and social groups.

The IRGC expressed confidence that, under the leadership of the Commander-in-Chief and with the cooperation of the country`s intelligence community and the people, Iran would prevail over the designs of foreign adversaries.

"We are confident that with the grace of Imam Mahdi (may God hasten His reappearance), under the leadership of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief and with the synergy of the country`s intelligence community and the tireless cooperation of the dear people, just as we disappointed the enemy from victory in the military battle, we will prevail over its malicious design in the terror and separatist war against Islam and dear Iran, God willing," the statement said.

In a related announcement, Iran`s Ministry of Intelligence said 16 individuals described as thugs and criminals active in the December terrorist incidents in Tehran were arrested.

The ministry said the arrests occurred within the past 24 hours in a joint operation by the Tehran Intelligence Organization and the Law Enforcement Force of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Eight of the individuals were detained in the Sattarkhan, Marzdaran, and Golestan Shahr districts, with one reportedly intoxicated with alcohol, clashing with security forces and being shot in the leg.

Authorities said the eight suspects were among the main perpetrators in attacks on security personnel and in setting fire to government and private vehicles.

They said security forces had confiscated more than 40 cold weapons, including blood-stained machetes, clothing stolen from police and Basij forces, ammunition for military weapons, narcotics, and a high volume of alcoholic beverages.

The ministry also reported that some of those arrested were financially well-off, including one factory owner.

Tehran`s intelligence forces detained eight additional individuals involved in manufacturing and deploying homemade bombs, setting vehicles on fire, and attacking security forces in eastern, southern, and southwestern Tehran, particularly in the Baharestan district.

The ministry said the arrests reinforced the IRGC Intelligence Organization`s message that operations against networks coordinating foreign-backed unrest remain ongoing.