IRGC promotes 'self-sacrifice' campaign, ramps up efforts to hunt dissidents, critics abroad

Iran has launched the Elaaj intelligence system to track dissidents abroad, while the IRGC-affiliated Janfada campaign begins military training for volunteers. The regime aims to expand Basij-style mobilization and suppress opposition, signaling renewed efforts to project strength amid internal and external pressures.

Iran's Islamic Republic has signaled a renewed crackdown on dissidents abroad with the launch of the Elaaj monitoring and intelligence system, announced on Monday. The system, translating to 'cure,' aims to protect national security by targeting anti-patriotic and separatist movements, with supporters encouraged to submit information about dissidents who could face citizenship revocation and financial/media restrictions. Simultaneously, the IRGC-affiliated Janfada self-sacrifice campaign has begun military training for registered volunteers, with billboards and text messages promoting the initiative. A source told The Jerusalem Post that some registrants received invitations for military and relief training. Iran International reported a billboard on Tehran's Damavand Street, and Janfada claimed preparations for 1,000 national resistance battalions. Security expert Roger Macmillan noted the regime is mobilizing youth with weapons training, map reading, and first aid skills, aiming to expand Basij-style units beyond core supporters. He described Elaaj as overseas spying, similar to early revolutionary reporting, while Janfada is an internal drive for martyrs willing to die for the regime. The campaign is a volunteer call through official channels, not a neutral notice. An intelligence source in Iraq suspected Iran-backed militias in Lebanon and Iraq would receive similar invitations. The article notes that in April, Iranian embassies in the UK, Germany, Australia, and Sri Lanka recruited for the campaign, with vague messaging to avoid legal consequences. Lynette Nusbacher assessed the regime is desperate to establish credibility after appearing damaged.