In a rare escalation, four Iranian men took up arms against the Islamic Republic’s security forces during a standoff the dissents broadcast live on Instagram on March 8. The footage captures gunfire from regime forces and tear gas engulfing a residence where the men had sought refuge. Despite one of the rebels declaring, “[We] surrender,” the authorities continued their assault. Abol Korkor, realizing there was no escape, uttered his final words—“I have no other choice, goodbye, Iran.”—before taking his own life.
The three other dissidents—Sohrab Ahmadi, Hossein Mehri, and Reza Abdollahzadeh—were with Korkor when security forces stormed the residence. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-affiliated Fars News released footage of Mehri and Abdollahzadeh in a hospital bed on March 9, with the latter’s arm in a cast. Ahmadi was absent from regime-released videos. According to sources close to the dissident, he may have either been killed in custody or died during the clashes.
The regime has a long history of extracting forced confessions from political prisoners, often portraying them as foreign agents linked to the CIA, Mossad, or organized crime. In this case, authorities opted for the latter, releasing a video claiming Korkor had a criminal record.
The group of nationalists had been active in mobilizing anti-regime demonstrations in Izeh, a city in Khuzestan Province that has long been a flashpoint for dissent, particularly during the nationwide protests of 2019 and 2022. Persian-language diaspora outlet ManoTo reported that regime forces had been seeking Korkor since the 2022 uprising, eventually tracking him through his cellphone. Two others affiliated with the group, Kamar Tahmsasbi and Mojahed Korkor, were previously shot and sentenced to execution by the regime, respectively. Activists close to the group stated the dissidents had “no other choice” but to take up arms against a regime that routinely fires on unarmed protesters.
Reports indicate that in response to Saturday’s clash, the regime deployed additional forces to Izeh and restricted internet access—standard tactics during periods of unrest.
What sets this case of rebellion apart is the group’s nationalist aspirations. Photographs show Korkor posing with the pre-revolutionary Iranian flag—the lion, sun, and crown—rather than the Islamic Republic’s emblem with its Arabic script. In the livestream of their uprising, Korkor taunted the regime, shouting, “To hell with your Islamic Republic,” as he returned fire with an AK variant. He also called on Iranians to “show courage and rise up.”
Unlike most armed confrontations with the state, which have historically been led by sectarian separatist groups such as the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), Komala, or designated terrorist organizations like Jaish al Adl and the Islamic State, this incident appears distinctly nationalistic.
Celebrated by many Iranians, scattered assassinations targeting regime figures have occurred in various parts of the country, including the recent case of a Supreme Court kitchen staffer who shot and killed two senior judges known for sentencing protesters to execution. However, the latest confrontation appeared more cohesive than most, potentially suggesting a shift in the nature of armed opposition against the Islamic Republic.
The focus of protests in Iran has evolved in recent years from calls for reform to demands for outright regime change. “[S]ince 2017, a new wave of anti-government demonstrations has swept the country, expressing broad discontent and a desire for revolution,” wrote Saeed Ghasseminejad, Behnam Ben Taleblu, Eliora Katz in the Journal of International Affairs in 2020.
Polls conducted by the Netherlands-based Group for Analyzing and Measuring Attitudes in Iran found that 81% of Iranians supported the nationwide 2022 protest wave, while over 80% said they are against the Islamic Republic in its entirety. A regime-organized survey from September 2024 further underscored rising discontent, revealing that 92% of Iranians were dissatisfied with the country’s current conditions.
This shift has led some Iranian dissidents to adopt tactics beyond demonstrations and civil disobedience, including acts of violence against the regime’s security apparatus—a significant break from aspirations of reform within the system.
