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Politics

Police-Backed Report: Iran’s Armed Forces Helpless Against US Espionage

January 19, 2022
Behnam Gholipour
5 min read
A recent report says the assassination of physicist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was a high-profile example of infiltration and espionage within the armed forces
A recent report says the assassination of physicist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was a high-profile example of infiltration and espionage within the armed forces
Several explosions at the Natanz nuclear facility have been linked to espionage operations, a recent report warns
Several explosions at the Natanz nuclear facility have been linked to espionage operations, a recent report warns

Espionage comes with a heavy price. In the Islamic Republic, when an individual is arrested and convicted of spying, he or she will face a lengthy prison sentence, and often, the death penalty. In most cases, the individuals in question — among them members of the military, the clergy, and the security and intelligence institutions — are accused of collaborating with the United States or Israel. Most of the time, they are tried in closed or secret courts.

A recent report by the journal Police Protection and Security Studies Quarterly warns of the significant threats spy and infiltration operations instigated by “hostile” states pose to the Islamic Republic, outlining their extent and breadth, and assessing how Iranians might become involved in such covert initiatives.

Why do People Become Spies?

It is difficult to get a clear picture of just how extensive corruption, infiltration and spying has become among some of Iran’s most illustrious institutions and elite groups, not least because Iran’s leaders have worked hard to keep any such details out of the public domain. Specific information about the number of cases filed for corruption, spying and national security-related crimes is thin on the ground. In addition, there is rarely adequate or efficient monitoring in place in these national security institutions. The recent report even indicates that there is a considerable lack of attention to detail embedded within these agencies .

So what would make an army officer or a cleric turn against his country? Economic pressures can often be a factor. The nature of these jobs and the fact that these individuals have access to sensitive information means they are repeatedly presented with tempting financial offers and bribes to engage in espionage, and their economic situations can make it hard for them to refuse.

In addition, the way people have been treated in some of these environments, part of wider trend throughout Iranian society, can also prompt people to take drastic, dangerous actions, putting themselves and their families at significant risk.

Islamic Republic officials have implicitly stated over the years that various attacks against Iran can be attributed to targeted infiltration and espionage operations carried out by members of the armed forces and others. Among them are a series of explosions at the Natanz nuclear facility, and the 2020 assassination of nuclear physicist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh.

Because the media is essentially banned from reporting on the armed forces critically, highlighting any vulnerabilities within the forces, or documenting any violations forces commit, the recent report fails to identify the potential reasons for the success of such operations, or even to highlight the financial problems the armed forces face. Instead, it focuses on the evils of US intelligence and military operations.

Warnings from Experts

The report cites claims from 30 intelligence and security experts that US agents carried out sustained covert intelligence operations against the Islamic Republic's armed forces.

The experts warn that US agents are adept at information-gathering, in-depth analysis and recruiting spies, and highlight espionage as one of the most profound threats the US poses to the Islamic Republic and its military forces.

They further emphasized that the US was in possession of advanced electronic technologies with the potential to disrupt Iran’s communications and information infrastructure on a wide scale, and that cyber warfare was one of its key objectives and capabilities.

But, like so many assessments of the US threats to Iran, the report also highlights US pressures on and influence over other countries, and its power to mobilize countries in the region against Iran. It also notes the US’ ability to keep sanctions against the Islamic Republic’s armed forces in place.

Khatam Al-Anbia Headquarters

The Police Protection and Security journal report considers the lack of accuracy and attention to detail within Iran’s armed forces and the US' abilities to plan and implement effective espionage operations, but it also claims that Iran’s officials and intelligence and security experts explicitly acknowledge the United States’ superiority, in intelligence and in military expertise, a reality that was also acknowledged in a separate study published by the National Defense University.

Although highlighting weaknesses in the Islamic Republic’s military or the regime more broadly is generally taboo, the National Defense University report dared to admit that the country’s air defense would not be effective against or be able to counter air strikes by US forces.

The report highlights one unit in particular: the headquarters of the Khatam al-Anbia Air Defense, which it describes as the first point for tracking and identifying potential threats in Iran’s airspace. It identifies 15 specific major vulnerabilities or shortcomings within the defense unit.

Khatam al-Anbia is one of the Iranian Army’s most prominent and elite major military units. Once part of the Army’s Air Force, in February 2008, the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei re-designated it as standalone unit tasked to develop sustainable defense of the country's air space against an extensive catalog of threats. It benefits from the operational equipment extended to Iran’s Air Defense, including radars and data collection devices, and oversees the development of long, medium and short-range ground-to-air defense systems.

But again, there is a solid acknowledgment of what is lacking from within the unit. Military experts and other sections of the armed forces and intelligence agencies are well aware that, whatever their level of expertise, these units are ill-equipped to deal with potential attacks from the US. And this admission is unprecedented, with most senior military commanders making bold claims out of step with reality over the last few years.

Related coverage: 

The 'Spies Hall' in Iran's Evin Prison: Not a Jail, but a Tomb

Iranian Hackers' Malware-Loaded Files Named by US Cyber Command

Iranian Intelligence Official Reveals Chaos in the System

Iranian State-Backed Hacking Group Sanctioned by US Treasury

Ex-Intelligence Minister: Israeli Infiltration So Deep All Officials Should "Fear for Their Lives"

The Long Arc of Mossad’s Power and Influence in Iran

Has Israel Infiltrated the Revolutionary Guards?

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