The #Iranian regime has likely deployed its #Artesh Ground Forces to suppress ongoing protests surrounding #MahsaAmini’s death. Here’s why it matters: 1/5
An Iranian official and state-affiliated media confirmed that an Artesh Ground Forces officer died in clashes with protesters in Khorasan Razavi Province, corroborating social media reports that Iranian leadership had deployed the Artesh to crack down on demonstrations. 2/5 
The Artesh Ground Forces’ deployment could signal limited bandwidth of other security units—like the #Basij and #LEC—as the regime continues to crack down on nation-wide protests. 3/5
The deployment of the Artesh Ground Forces similarly suggests that the regime views ongoing protests as a credible and serious threat to regime stability. 4/5
The Artesh Ground Forces also participated in repressing the November 2019 gasoline protests. The death of an Artesh GF officer in current demonstrations points to a larger trend line: the forces’ increasingly expanded role in protest suppression over the past several years. 5/5
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