Tehran reappoints cleric behind 2009 protest crackdown to head Basij militia
Iran has reinstated Hossein Taeb, the cleric who commanded the Basij during the 2009 Green Movement crackdown, as head of the paramilitary force. The move, early in Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei's rule, signals preparations for possible domestic unrest amid war with the US and sanctions.
Iranian authorities have reappointed Hossein Taeb, a cleric with a long history in internal security, as commander of the Basij, the volunteer paramilitary group affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Taeb previously led the Basij during the 2009 suppression of the Green Movement protests and served as head of the IRGC's intelligence organisation for about 13 years. The appointment comes in the early months of Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei's rule, following a reshuffle of political, military and security elites. Analysts see it as a sign that Tehran is bracing for possible domestic unrest while its war with the US continues and sanctions pressure grows.
Taeb joined the IRGC as a teenager and also worked in the Ministry of Intelligence before returning to the Guards. He took command of the Basij in July 2008, less than a year before disputed presidential elections triggered mass demonstrations in June 2009. The Basij played a central role in the violent crackdown that followed. The US sanctioned Taeb in 2010, and the EU followed in 2011. Late that year, he was appointed the first head of the newly created IRGC Intelligence Organisation, holding the post for roughly 13 years. During his tenure, the agency expanded its reach into cases involving political opponents, journalists, environmental activists and dual nationals. Its most notable operation was the capture of dissident Ruhollah Zam, a Paris-based administrator of the Telegram channel Amad News; he was brought to Iran in 2019 and executed in 2020.
Taeb was replaced in June 2022 by Mohammad Kazemi and moved to an advisory role under the IRGC commander. His removal came after significant intelligence failures, including operations attributed to Israel and the killing of nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh in November 2020. Iranian officials never publicly acknowledged these failures as the reason for his departure. His return to the Basij instead of retirement indicates lasting ties to Mojtaba Khamenei, dating back to the Iran-Iraq War when both were associated with the Habib battalion of the IRGC's 27th Mohammad Rasulollah Division.
The Basij maintains a presence in neighbourhoods, mosques, universities and government offices, where it monitors citizens and suppresses dissent. The order appointing Taeb emphasised expanding a "popular intelligence network", improving training and integrating new technologies, pointing to a renewed focus on domestic surveillance. A veteran intelligence official in charge may help the Basij shift from reactive crowd control to earlier detection of dissent. The decision also underscores the IRGC's continued dominance, as it answers directly to the supreme leader. In 2018, former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad publicly accused Taeb of fabricating cases against political opponents, a rare public dispute between the presidency and the IRGC intelligence apparatus. During Hassan Rouhani's presidency, Taeb's agency openly challenged the civilian Ministry of Intelligence in several high-profile cases, further shifting power to institutions tied to the ayatollah.
