Iran has deployed 20 million soldiers; what is the Basij, and will it save Khamenei from the US for the third time?
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To control the unrest on the streets of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s government has deployed a paramilitary group called Basij. According to human rights organizations, this group has killed more than 500 protesters in Iran so far. It is considered Iran’s most feared military group. It is a volunteer organization created to suppress internal rebellions against the government.
According to CNN, on Friday (January 9), after the Friday prayers, Ali Khamenei delivered an address to the nation. Khamenei described the protests as an American agenda. In his address, he said that Iran would not bow down to anyone. Following this, the Basij group was deployed to the streets on the recommendation of the Iranian parliament.
What does Basij mean?
Basij is a Persian word meaning mobilization. It was formed after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. At that time, the leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Khomeini, believed that this organization would always protect Iran from the United States. Basij recruits people from rural, conservative Islamic backgrounds. At the local level, this organization controls people through mosques.
This organization is largely controlled by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. It has approximately 20 million members, aged between 18 and 50 years. This same Basij organization suppressed uprisings in Iran during 2009 and 2022. Now, the Basij has once again been tasked with suppressing the protests in Iran.
The United States has imposed sanctions on the Basij force and some of its commanders. The US considers it a brutal organization. According to international human rights organizations, the Basij group plays a leading role in violently suppressing dissent in Iran.
Unrest and the response in Iran
Protests against inflation have been ongoing in Iran since December 27, 2025. These protests are against the government. According to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, the demands of the protesters are legitimate, but some rioters have hijacked the entire protest.
According to HRANA, more than 500 citizens have been killed in Iran in an attempt to quell the protests. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has issued a statement in support of the protests in Iran. Trump said that if the atrocities continue in Iran, the US may send troops.
