Revolutionary Guards crack down on online learning platform students

Iran International-Nov12th2025

The intelligence wing of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards launched a security operation targeting 400 people linked to Iran Academia, an online platform offering free Farsi courses in social sciences and humanities, state media reported on Wednesday.

“Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) intelligence identified 400 members inside and outside Iran,” state broadcaster IRIB reported. “Some have been summoned, detained, or warned to cease collaboration with this academic circle.”

It described the operation as a move to counter “soft overthrow (efforts) … via cultural and educational infiltration.”

The broadcast featured blurred photos of alleged detainees, organizational charts mapping the network and commentary from experts justifying the actions as defense against foreign-funded subversion.

No names or exact arrest numbers were disclosed.

Iran Academia, registered in the Netherlands and founded in 2012 amid Iran’s restrictions on higher education in social sciences, says it aims to served “the general public, civil society, and disadvantaged groups” according to its official website.

“70% are from Iran—spanning 21 of 31 provinces—with 40% female, 30% ethnic minorities, and 15% religious minorities,” the site said.

The platform offers Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) on topics like gender and budgeting, transitional justice, social advocacy and forced migration rights.

State media accused its board members of promoting “hot-button” issues—gender equality, ethnic rights and implicit regime critique via media appearances, labeling it a tool for “soft regime change” backed by Dutch, EU and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funding.

Revolutionary Guards personnel last week arrested several sociologists and economists.

The move prompted nearly 900 Iranian activists and intellectuals to issue a statement calling for unity against what they called “the suppression of thought and expression,” describing the crackdown as “a desperate attempt by a failing regime to stifle intellectual vitality.”