File : Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Jan 3 2026 he had asked the interior ministry to “listen to the legitimate demands” of protesters
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said Monday the country would not surrender to “bullies” and would continue fighting until attacks on its territory stop.
“Speaking of ending the war is meaningless until we ensure there will be no more attacks in our land in the future,” Pezeshkian said in a post on X following his phone call with his French counterpart.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran will not surrender to bullies,” he added.
The Israeli military said on Tuesday that it had killed one of Iran’s highest-ranking leaders, Ali Larijani, in an overnight airstrike near Tehran, dealing another severe blow to a power structure already decimated by three weeks of U.S.-Israeli strikes.
The killing of Larijani’ — who became Iran’s de facto leader after U.S.-Israeli airstrikes killed the upper echelons of Iran’s government and military — removes one of Iran’s most prominent voices of defiance. But Larijani was also an influential pragmatist who was seen as having the clout to negotiate with the United States, and his death could embolden even more hard-line Iranian leaders who believe that the Islamic republic can survive only by doubling down.
The killing of Iran’s top security official, and Gholamreza Soleimani, the commander of the Basij paramilitary forces, represents the latest blows to Iran’s leadership since the start of the U.S.-Israeli strikes. The initial attacks killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and several other senior officials. Here are the top Iranian leaders targeted so far in the war.
The Basij is a paramilitary volunteer militia in Iran that serves as a key pillar of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Established in 1979 by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, its primary role has evolved from a wartime volunteer force into a deeply embedded internal security apparatus tasked with maintaining regime stability, enforcing religious morality, and suppressing dissent
The Basij serves as the state’s “iron fist” during urban unrest, using plainclothes agents, motorcycles, and often violent tactics to break up protests, as seen during the 2009 Green Movement, the 2019 “Bloody November” protests, and the 2022–2023 Mahsa Amini protests.
Basij members enforce Sharia law, including mandatory hijab laws, and monitor civilian behavior in public spaces, universities, and workplaces. They operate an extensive network of informers to report on “immoral” activities or opposition sentiments.
Subordinate to the IRGC, the Basij provides auxiliary support for domestic security, conducting patrols (especially at night) and managing local “resistance bases” in cities and villages across Iran.
Estimates range from several hundred thousand to several million, including women, children, and elderly members, though its core active security force is believed to number in the tens of thousands.
President Trump has demanded the “unconditional surrender” of Iran to end the ongoing U.S.-Israel military conflict, rejecting any diplomatic deals or negotiated ceasefire
This maximalist demand follows the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a strike.
