“Tehran has turned into a barracks for foreign militias under IRGC command.”

Here is a first-hand account of what’s happening right now inside Tehran. What follows describes a city that is no longer functioning normally, but operating under heavy militarization and systemic breakdown.

Streets filled with Toyota Hilux pickups mounted with DShK machine guns, turning the city into a militarized zone
Checkpoints across highways and intersections with IRGC, Zainebiyoun, Fatemiyoun, and Hashd al-Shaabi flags, creating traffic paralysis and harassing civilians
Parks, schools, and mosques occupied by security forces, with suppression units deployed across major junctions
Government offices barely functioning, staff absent, services abandoned mid-day, and phone response near zero
Public transport reduced drastically, with buses repurposed for Basij and special units
Banking system failing, ATMs empty, cash nearly impossible to access
Schools effectively shut down, universities pushed online without internet or infrastructure
Civil government sidelined, real control concentrated in IRGC and security institutions
Propaganda shows “normal life,” but reality is militarization, surveillance, and constant pressure on civilians
Public sentiment reflects fear of war, but even greater fear of the regime regaining full control

This is not a functioning capital. It is a city under internal occupation