4th round of US-Iran talks ends as Trump set to embark on historic Middle East tour
Share this @internewscast.com

In the wake of the 12-day war between Israel and Iran, the regime appears to be turning inward — escalating repression with chilling speed. 

Kasra Aarabi, the director of IRGC research at United Against Nuclear Iran, suggests that the Islamic Republic is moving quickly towards a “North Korea-style model of isolation and control.”

Aarabi stated to Fox News Digital that this shift signifies a “domestic isolation” with significant repercussions for Iranians. He described the regime as increasingly totalitarian, with suppression levels now reaching unprecedented heights, unlike anything observed before.

Kim Jong Un missile test

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, oversees artillery exercises in North Korea on March 7, 2024. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP, File)

“Repressing the people at home is easy. That’s something they can do. So it’s not unlikely that Iran could become more insular, more autocratic, more repressive — and more similar to, let’s say, a North Korea — than what it is today. That might be the only way they see to preserve the regime: by really tightening the screws on the Iranian people, to ensure that the Iranian population doesn’t try to rise up and topple the regime,” he told Fox News Digital.

A CCTV camera in Iran

CCTV cameras are seen in a street in Tehran, Iran, April 9, 2023. (Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS)

Inside the regime’s power structure, the fallout from the war is just as severe. Aarabi said that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is facing an internal crisis of trust and an imminent purge. “These operations couldn’t have taken place without infiltration at the highest levels,” he said. “There’s immense pressure now to clean house.”

The next generation of IRGC officers — those who joined after 2000 — are younger, more radical and deeply indoctrinated. Over half of their training is now ideological. Aarabi said that these newer factions have begun turning on senior commanders, accusing them of being too soft on Israel or even collaborating with Mossad.

“In a twist of irony, Khamenei created these extreme ideological ranks to consolidate power — and now they’re more radical than he is,” Aarabi said. “He’s struggling to control them.”

A fire releases a large amount of smoke with protesters gathered around it

A police motorcycle burns during a protest over the death of Mahsa Amini, a woman who died after being arrested by the Islamic Republic’s “morality police,” in Tehran, Iran, on Sept. 19, 2022.  (WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS)

A purge is likely, along with the rise of younger, less experienced commanders with far higher risk tolerance — a shift that could make the IRGC more volatile both domestically and internationally. With Iran’s conventional military doctrine in ruins, terrorism may become its primary lever of influence.

“The regime’s three pillars — militias, ballistic missiles, and its nuclear program — have all been decapitated or severely degraded,” Aarabi said. “That leaves only asymmetric warfare: soft-target terrorism with plausible deniability.”

Kim Jong Un and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, left, and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. (AFP via Getty Images)

Despite the regime’s brutal turn inward, Aarabi insists this is a sign of weakness, not strength. “If the Islamic Republic were confident, it wouldn’t need to crush its people this way,” he said. “It’s acting out of fear. But until the regime’s suppressive apparatus is dismantled, the streets will remain silent — and regime change remains unlikely.”

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Bernie-Endorsed Maine Senate Candidate's Campaign Implodes As Dems in Disarray Hits Fever Pitch

Maine Senate Race Turmoil: Bernie-Backed Candidate Faces Campaign Collapse Amid Democratic Discord

Though the Maine primary is still months away, slated for June 9,…
'Chicago P.D.' star Patrick John Flueger takes sudden leave of absence

Chicago P.D. Star Patrick John Flueger Announces Unexpected Leave of Absence: What Fans Need to Know

Adam Ruzek is stepping away from the Intelligence Unit — at least…
Kyoto hikes tourist tax by 900% amid overtourism surge

Kyoto Implements 900% Increase in Tourist Tax in Response to Overtourism Surge

Kyoto is set to significantly increase its accommodation fees starting March 2026,…
Chess grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky is remembered as a leader in the game's online surge

Chess Grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky Celebrated as a Pioneer in the Online Chess Renaissance

Daniel Naroditsky, a prominent figure in competitive chess who rose to fame…
Convicted felon federally charged after threatening Atlanta airport while armed with AR-15 rifle

Armed Felon Faces Federal Charges After Threatening Atlanta Airport with AR-15: A Chilling Security Breach

A Georgia resident is facing federal charges after allegedly threatening to “shoot…
'NYU Communists' vow to fight capitalism with Marxist revolution at 'No Kings' rally

NYU Student Group Advocates for Marxist Change at ‘No Kings’ Rally to Challenge Capitalism

EXCLUSIVE TO FOX: Over the weekend, a group believed to be students…
Mother of baby abandoned at Penn Station in New York City arrested in Queens

Queens Authorities Arrest Mother of Baby Found Abandoned at Penn Station, NYC

NEW YORK — The mother of an infant girl discovered abandoned at…
Howard University professor calls on White political allies to emulate vigilante mass murderer

Howard University Professor Urges White Allies to Reflect on Controversial Vigilante Actions

A professor from Howard University known for her far-left views has stirred…
Feds say 14 arrested during chaotic immigration sweep that sparked protests on NYC's Canal Street

14 Arrested in Turbulent NYC Immigration Raid Amid Canal Street Protests, Say Feds

NEW YORK (AP) — An immigration raid on Manhattan’s bustling Canal Street…
Woman charged with abandoning newborn child at NYC subway stop

Newborn Found Abandoned at NYC Subway: Woman Faces Charges

Authorities in New York City have apprehended a woman accused of leaving…
Luigi Mangione claims he was beaten by seven 'ladyboys' in Thailand months before CEO killing: report

Shocking Twist: Luigi Mangione Alleges Assault by ‘Ladyboys’ in Thailand Before High-Profile CEO Murder

Luigi Mangione, once a promising Ivy League student, is now embroiled in…
Father leaps into ocean after daughter falls from Disney cruise ship deck: reports

Report: Mother Allegedly Urged Daughter to Pose for Photo at Open Porthole Before Fall from Disney Cruise Ship

A family vacation aboard the Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Dream took a…