Erecting Gallows in Iran Reflects Strategic Distress
The article analyzes public executions in Iran as a sign of the regime's strategic distress, not strength. The author argues that the gallows are meant to deter protests, but in fact stir unrest and deepen the rift between the street and the authorities.
The article, by Lt. Col. (res.) Amit Yagur, analyzes public executions in Iran as a window into the boiling domestic arena. Last night in Isfahan, protesters arrested during the Alikhani Square demonstrations were hanged, including Amir Hossein Safari and Abolfazl Sepahi, just days after two other defendants were executed in the same case on July 19. The author argues that the extreme show of force actually reflects strategic distress and fear of losing control amid the severe economic crisis. He claims the regime is resorting to a tactic of 'maximum deterrence' because civil containment tools are no longer effective. However, videos from the scene show the street is not deterred: crowds flocked to the prison gates, and violent clashes occurred. The author compares the dynamic to the repression by the Shah Pahlavi regime, which paved the way for its end in 1979.