Iran International
Iranian authorities have arrested at least eight relatives of protesters killed during the 2022 uprising in recent weeks, amid a broader crackdown on dissent in the aftermath of the country’s war with Israel last month.
The most recent case involves Mahsa Shafiee, the 24-year-old sister of slain protester Parsa Shafiee, who was arrested by intelligence agents at her home in Yasuj, southwestern Iran, on Thursday, according to a source who requested anonymity due to fear of reprisals.
Eighteen-year-old Parsa was killed in November 2022, during the nationwide protests sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Zhina Amini over an alleged hijab law violation in September that year, which triggered the nationwide uprising known as the Woman, Life, Freedom Movement.
In addition to Shafiee's detention, her father was also summoned by the Revolutionary Guard's intelligence on the same day, according to former political prisoner and rights activist Foad Choobin.
“The Shafiee family is currently under severe pressure from security institutions and has been threatened not to share information about Mahsa’s situation,” he wrote on X Sunday, adding that Mahsa’s whereabouts are currently unknown.
Last Monday, Ehsan Khazaei, the brother of slain protester Erfan Khazaei, and his wife Neda Karegar were arrested in Tehran. According to Norway-based rights group Hengaw, more than 60 security agents stormed their residence, beat family members, and confiscated mobile phones. US-based rights group HRANA reported that the couple was later released on bail.
On June 23, Suleiman Qader Galwan, the brother of slain protester Abdulsalam Qader Galwan, was arrested in Oshnavieh, a city in West Azarbaijan province, following a raid by intelligence agents.
Ali Mohammadi, the father of slain protestor Shahriyar Mohammadi, was arrested on June 21 in Bukan, also in West Azarbaijan province, his daughter Asrin told Iran International.
Asrin said that her father was beaten during interrogation and lost consciousness, after which he was briefly hospitalized. Asrin added that her father is being denied independent legal representation.
On June 19, security forces also arrested Majid Naderkhani, whose son Matin was detained during the 2022 protests and shot dead months after release from prison.
In Yasuj, Feyzollah Azarnosh, the father of 18-year-old slain protester Pedram Azarnoosh, was arrested on June 18 and transferred to Yasuj Central Prison following questioning, according to a report by Hengaw.
That same day in Bukan, Karim Qaderpour, the father of protest victim Awat Qaderpour, was detained and taken to an undisclosed location.
Earlier this month, United Nations experts urged Iranian authorities to end a post-ceasefire crackdown marked by executions, mass arrests, and hate speech, warning that the country risks repeating past cycles of repression.
Last month, HRANA reported that 823 Iranian citizens were on political or security-related charges since the outbreak of the war.
According to the report, 286 people were detained for their online activities, including sharing content about Israel’s attack on Iran.
"Some of our air defenses were damaged, this is not something we can hide, but our colleagues have used domestic resources and replaced them with pre-arranged systems that were stored in suitable locations in order to keep the airspace secure," Mousavi added.
During the June conflict, Israel's air force took control of Iranian airspace, delivering a significant blow to the country's air defenses, while Iran's armed forces responded with successive waves of missile and drone attacks on Israeli territory.
“We were able to cover the skies using existing and new systems, securing the airspace of our dear Iran,” he said. “The enemy, despite its desperate efforts, failed to achieve its goals.”
Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, also echoed that message. “Air defense proved on the front lines of protecting Iran’s skies that it will resist any level of threat,” he said. “Downing so many enemy aircraft shows the courage and will of our defenders.”
Iran says it has downed several Israeli fighter jets but has not provided any footage or additional details.
Israeli forces struck targets across Iran freely during the 12-day war, including in and around the capital.
Israeli military officials say that 120 air defense systems were destroyed or disabled since the first wave of attacks—around a third of Iran’s pre-war total. Long-range systems, including Russian-supplied S-300s and Iran’s Bavar-373 batteries, were among those targeted.
“Iran relied on a fragmented mix of Russian S-300s, Chinese batteries, and local Bavar-373 systems – none of which were adequately integrated… The air defense radar was Russian and Chinese made, which have known issues of target discrimination, without any integration among bases and military units,” wrote the Global Defense Corp.
Mossad operations and precision strikes
In late June, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz directed the military to prepare an enforcement plan against Iran, which includes maintaining air superiority, blocking missile development, and deterring Iran's regional activities.
The plan, according to Katz’s, aimed to ensure Israel can respond kinetically to future threats.
A security source speaking to N12 also said Mossad operatives inside Iran played a central role in shaping the battlespace, deploying loitering munitions and attack drones, and establishing a covert launch site in the heart of Iran to suppress air defenses.
The War Zone website, a resource for the defense industry, released more details of Iran’s defense being destroyed.
“Among the targets reportedly prosecuted by Israeli operatives within Iran was an air defense site near Tehran. Shortly before the operation began, Israeli drones launched from within Iran struck surface-to-air missile launchers there, clearing the way for the larger strike, which also involved Israeli Air Force (IAF) fighter jets."
"This would also explain the apparent inactivity by Iranian air defense sites during the Israeli bombardment. At the same time, the IAF has also been flying suppression and destruction of enemy air defenses (SEAD/DEAD) operations that the service says have destroyed “dozens of radars and surface-to-air missile launchers,” wrote the website.
Airspace remains exposed
Iran’s geographic scale -- roughly 1.6 million square kilometers -- poses a constant challenge for integrated air defense. The Islamic Republic lacks a modern fighter fleet to complement its missile systems and has relied on Cold War-era aircraft. Several of these have been destroyed on the ground in recent strikes, according to Israeli military imagery.
After limited Israeli strikes targeted Iranian missile factories last October, Iran later showcased Russian-made air defenses and its Bavar-373 system to project defensive strength, but Israeli aircraft, including F-35 stealth fighters, encountered little documented resistance during the 12-day conflict.
