Iranian security forces opened fire and deployed tear gas at Tehran's central fruit and vegetable market on Thursday, intensifying a crackdown on nationwide protests now in their fifth day. The unrest, driven by a severe economic crisis, coincides with reports that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is expediting preparations for a potential multi-front war involving Iran and its regional proxies.
Israel Accelerates Military Preparations
The Israel Defense Forces is speeding up its war preparations in light of the internal turmoil shaking Iran, according to a Wednesday report by Israel's Channel 12 News. These preparations are part of the military's multi-year plan, which extends roughly to the year 2030, and anticipates a conflict scenario involving Iran directly, as well as its allies in Lebanon and the West Bank.
A senior Israeli official, speaking anonymously to the outlet, described the protests in Iran as a "dramatic event" for the political leadership in Jerusalem. While Israel has refrained from official comment on the demonstrations, the official noted it is "too early to know the consequences" of the upheaval.
Protests and Crackdown in Iran
The protests in Iran, which began on December 29, 2025, are a manifestation of widespread public dissent over the country's spiraling economic conditions. The national currency, the rial, has plummeted to an all-time low of 1.4 million to one U.S. dollar. The regime's response has been forceful.
Beyond the incidents in Tehran's market, Iranian authorities confirmed on Thursday that a member of the Basij paramilitary force was killed during a rally in the western Lorestan province. The Basij is a unit within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). A local official stated the member was "martyred ... at the hands of rioters." Reports indicate another 13 Basij members and police officers were injured.
Regional Security Implications
The IDF's evolving contingency plans reportedly include the possibility that Iran's leadership could initiate a conflict with Israel as a diversionary tactic to consolidate domestic power and prevent being overthrown by its own people. Such a large-scale "surprise war" could, for the first time, include Israeli military operations "in and from" outer space, according to the Channel 12 report.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the Iranian demonstrations during consultations in the United States, where his visit concluded on Thursday. In an interview with Newsmax on Tuesday, Netanyahu stated that Iran's leaders have "robbed their people of the future" and expressed sympathy for the Iranian people, suggesting that change must "come from within."
The convergence of intense domestic pressure on the Iranian regime and accelerated military planning by its primary regional adversary marks a significant and volatile moment in Middle Eastern geopolitics, with implications for global security.
