WATCH: Chabahar’s under fire - Iran’s security forces are in a brutal street fight

Reports are emerging about alleged intense clashes in Chabahar, a port city in southeastern Iran’s Sistan-Baluchestan province, near the border with Pakistan. According to posts on X and limited breaking news updates, Iranian security forces are engaged in a fierce confrontation with a large number of armed militants in a residential area of the city. The conflict reportedly erupted late Monday night (February 24) and has continued into Tuesday, escalating tensions in this strategically significant region.

Videos circulating online show heavy exchanges of gunfire, with some claiming the use of rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and drones by Iranian forces for surveillance and strikes. The fighting is centered around Tohid Boulevard, where security forces have surrounded a residential building. Posts on X suggest the militants are putting up strong resistance, with one user noting that Iranian authorities are deploying attack drones to suppress the assault. The scale of the clash—described as involving “a large number of armed Baloch fighters” by some—hints at a coordinated and significant operation.

Chabahar is no stranger to violence. The port city, a key economic hub due to its access to the Indian Ocean and its role in Iran’s trade with India and Central Asia, sits in a restive province long plagued by insurgency. Sistan-Baluchestan, with its predominantly Sunni Baluch population in a Shiite-dominated country, has been a hotspot for clashes between Iranian security forces and groups like Jaish al-Adl, a Sunni militant organization seeking greater rights for the Baluch minority.

Just last April (2024), Jaish al-Adl launched a sophisticated attack on multiple security installations in Chabahar and nearby Rask, killing 16 Iranian personnel and losing 18 fighters in a 13-hour battle. That assault targeted Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) bases and aimed to disrupt Iran’s control, though it failed to seize key objectives.

Today’s clash could be another flare-up involving Jaish al-Adl or a similar group, given the region’s history and the descriptions of armed Baloch fighters. Iran often accuses such militants of being backed by Pakistan or foreign powers like the U.S. and Israel, though no official statement has yet confirmed the group’s identity in this instance.

For Iran, this is a critical moment. Chabahar’s stability matters—not just for internal security but for its economic lifeline, especially amid U.S. sanctions. The port’s development, backed by a $370 million deal with India signed in May 2024, is a counterweight to Pakistan’s Gwadar port and China’s regional influence. Violence here threatens that ambition. Meanwhile, the timing aligns with broader unrest: Iran’s been grappling with internal dissent and external pressures, including Israeli strikes on its proxies and a fragile ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon as of November 2024. A major militant assault now could stretch its resources thin.

Without official confirmation, speculation fills the gaps. Posts on X call it “significant” and note intensifying Baloch militancy across the Iran-Pakistan border, but hard facts—like who’s fighting, how many are dead, or the precise trigger—aren’t yet solid. Iran’s state media, like IRNA, often downplays or delays such reports, and independent verification from Sistan-Baluchestan is notoriously tough. Still, the chatter suggests this isn’t a minor skirmish but a bold challenge to Tehran’s grip