Iran’s Quds Force Commander Warns Critical Journalists Amid Protest Crackdown

The commander Iran’s elite Quds Force has said that all journalists who have been critical to the clerical regime will be “hit” sooner or later, amid a brutal crackdown on nationwide protests and media workers.

“We have recorded all the enemies’ actions. All of them will be hit without exception. Anyone who has done media work against Iran, for even one single day, will be hit one day,” Ismail Qaani said during a ceremony on December 20.

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei “stands strong and moves the ship of the revolution forward with strength,” Qaani also said.

The Quds Force is the overseas arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.

Qaani’s comes as Iran has been swept by anti-government protests since the September death of a 22-year-old woman, Mahsa Amini, in the custody of morality police.

Security forces have hit hard on the demonstrators, killing at least 469 people, including 63 under-18s, according to Norway-based Iran Human Rights group.

More than 18,000 others have been detained, including at least 60 journalists.

Dozens of people have been handed capital punishment or are facing charges that carry a death sentence. Iran carried out the first two executions earlier this month amid international condemnation.