The usually bustling streets of Irans capital are largely empty as security forces reassert their control after crushing unprecedented protests against the countrys clerical rulers.

Residents of Tehran describe a city under virtual martial law, with security personnel deployed on the streets and residents largely staying indoors. Many shops and restaurants close in the evening.

The feeling of martial law is completely in place at night," a man in his 70s who left Iran on January 17 told RFE/RL's Radio Farda.

"One of the reasons for that," he added, "is that the armed forces randomly stop cars. They check the entire car and also mobile phones. They ask people to unlock their phones.

SEE ALSO:

Iranian Official Pledges 'Severest Punishments' Coming As New Details Of Crackdown Emerge

A heavy military and police presence -- as well as an Internet and communications blackout -- has been imposed across Iran since the authorities launched a bloody crackdown on antiestablishment protests that had erupted on December 28.

Several thousand protesters have been killed and over 20,000 detained over the past three weeks, according to human rights groups, although the actual death toll is believed to be significantly higher.

The man who spoke to Radio Farda said security forces were "checking citizens activities on social media as well as their phone photo galleries looking for evidence of the individuals presence at the protests.

The man said he was stopped in an area north of Tehran and had heard the same thing from others. "That's why people are telling each other to stay home after 8 p.m.," he said.

Tehran residents said Iranian soldiers, plainclothes agents, and members of the Basij paramilitary force had been deployed not just in the city center but also in neighborhoods.

Militarization In The Provinces

Similar security deployments have been witnessed in other parts of Iran, including Kurdish-majority areas.

"The presence of military and security forces across these cities is so conspicuous that people are talking about a kind of military rule," Kaveh Kermanshahi, who's on the board of the Kurdistan Human Rights Network, told Radio Farda, describing the situation in western cities like Kermanshah after protests peaked last week.

"Not that ordinary people are banned from moving around, but all movement happens under their heavy surveillance and control," he added.

Footage verified by Radio Farda shows military vehicles and troops carrying what appear to be army-issued assault rifles in the streets of the western city of Borujerd in Lorestan Province.

The footage, said to be filmed on January 17, shows military hardware stationed at key intersections in the city.

Human rights organizations say security forces and even armored units have been deployed across multiple provinces, especially in areas that witnessed large protests or attacks on government buildings.

In a January 14 report, the US-based Institute for the Study of Warsaid, the widespread deployment of security patrols is likely contributing to the decrease in recorded protest activity because these patrols are likely deterring some Iranians from participating in protests.

The report added, however, that keeping such numbers of heavily armed personnel on the streets for weeks risks both fatigue among security forces and further radicalizing public anger in areas already hit hard by the crackdown.

Pursuit Inside Residential Spaces

Security operations have pushed deep into residential buildings, blurring the line between public protest and private life.

CCTV footage from an apartment block in Tehran, first released by the activist-run Telegram channel Vahid Online, shows plainclothes agents storming into the complex on January 7, chasing protesters up stairwells while wielding batons, machetes, and firearms.

The footage suggests a methodical pursuit of demonstrators taking refuge in private spaces, and echo testimonies from residents who describe doortodoor raids and arrests far from protest sites.

Written by Kian Sharifi based on original reporting by RFE/RLs Radio Farda.