Four-minute read
In the wake of the recent assassinations of Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, and Fouad Shukr, a senior commander of Hezbollah, security concerns have escalated within the Iranian regime, sparking intense internal disputes among state officials and their media outlets in Tehran.
On August 1, the state-run newspaper Jomhouri Eslami highlighted the infiltration issues, suggesting that the assassination of Haniyeh could be attributed to internal espionage. “The primary harm is the existence of infiltrators within our ranks. The fact that Israel can launch a missile into a heavily guarded area in Tehran indicates internal espionage. We must undertake a thorough purge of our intelligence and security sectors,” the newspaper stated, referring to internal spies as “Iranian Eli Cohens.”
Similarly, Khabar Online raised the alarm, writing, “We must not overlook the discussion of spies in sensitive institutions. Who had access to Haniyeh’s movements and rest times? This needs investigation, and we must not ignore the roles of internal infiltrators and traitors.”
The state-run newspaper Ham-Mihan wrote on August 1, “It is still unclear how this assassination occurred. Reports indicate that a projectile struck. This projectile must have been fired from either an aircraft or a platform. Various possibilities are being considered for the source of the firing, each of which is more concerning than the other.”
“In any of these scenarios, the defense system is called into question,” the source added. “Such attacks typically rely on receiving a precise signal from the target, or there must be a human factor or technical component involved. The precise targeting of Haniyeh’s room does not bode well for positive news.”
Crisis and War in the Middle East: The Roots and Solutions https://t.co/wtwbqxsCxY "The pressing question now is why #Iran chose to foster this crisis in the region…Equally significant is the exploration of potential solutions to this crisis." #FreeIran2024
— Alireza Jafarzadeh (@A_Jafarzadeh) January 2, 2024
Old wounds opened
The regime’s media outlets have also been circulating clips and statements from former intelligence officials, emphasizing the depth of internal infiltration. “Ruydad 24” replayed a speech by Ali Younesi, a former intelligence minister, from July 2021, where he lamented the extensive infiltration over the past decade. “The Mossad’s infiltration in various sectors has reached a level that all officials should be concerned for their lives. During my time, such penetrations were unheard of,” Younesi noted, attributing the rise of espionage to internal rivalries and the creation of parallel intelligence organizations.
A Telegram channel associated with the Revolutionary Guards reposted a speech by Mohsen Rezaee, a former IRGC commander, highlighting multiple security breaches in the past year, including two explosions and an assassination. “There is widespread security contamination. Less than a year saw three significant security events. Before this, there was a theft of our highly classified nuclear documents,” Rezaee had stated.
Former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s remarks were also highlighted by the “Tahkim Vahdat” Telegram channel, where he questioned the espionage within the highest echelons of intelligence. “Is it a simple matter that the top person responsible for countering Israeli espionage turns out to be an Israeli spy? This is no joke,” Ahmadinejad had asserted, calling for a thorough investigation to uncover the network of spies.
The assassination of Ismail Haniyeh has not only stirred security concerns but also fueled political complexities.
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Crisis and War in the #MiddleEast: The Roots and Solutions
Understanding the #Iranian regime’s Goals in the Crisis pic.twitter.com/oikos96Kxu— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) January 2, 2024
Mohsen Mirdamadi, a former member of the regime’s parliament, wrote, “The shocking assassination of Ismail Haniyeh was painful and demands a response. The most effective and forceful response to Israel is to identify and cut off the infiltrators who have penetrated deep into the system. These infiltrators are among those whose cries of ‘Death to Israel’ can be heard all the way to Tel Aviv.”
Ahmad Zeidabadi, a regime-affiliated media activist, described the situation as “complicated and dire,” indicating the difficult choices ahead regarding the ongoing conflict with Israel. “The Gaza war has turned into a direct confrontation between Hezbollah and Israel, with Iran indirectly involved. Continuing this war is very costly, and ending it is equally challenging,” he wrote on X.
Ali Rabiee, a former intelligence deputy, commented on the impact of Haniyeh’s assassination during Pezeshkian’s inauguration, calling it a “cursed strike against Iran’s electoral dignity.” The official IRGC news outlet, Sabereen News, suggested that the timing and location of the assassination, soon after the new president’s inauguration, aimed to undermine the regime’s intelligence capabilities.
On the other hand, the clerical regime has not overlooked the significant internal threat, and officials and state media have been warning about the potential consequences. As always, they desperately try to attribute their fear of the social roots of the Iranian Resistance to foreign countries.
Oct 7- Ghorbanali Dorri-Najafabadi, Khamenei’s rep in Arak: “They took the #MEK to Albania. They were granted asylum, they were able to organize, created facilities, given satellites, #internet and hundreds of networks were at their disposal.”
7/9https://t.co/o8bkPV0mXk pic.twitter.com/5Pn4mQYcp9— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) October 9, 2022
The domestic threat effect
The Tasnim News Agency warned, “The hypocrites [the regime’s pejorative to defame the People’s Mojahedin Organization] have started spreading rumors and lies to shift the focus of condemnation away from the Zionists and bring verbal conflicts into the country. To this end, several fake accounts with a revolutionary appearance are criticizing Mr. Pezeshkian’s government or primarily focusing on intensifying rumors within the country and calling for revenge against revolutionary institutions.”
The Mashregh News website, affiliated with the IRGC’s intelligence organization, wrote, “These claims are being made under the guise of seemingly revolutionary accounts but are, in reality, backed by [the MEK]. One of the MEK’s tactics during the imposed war [war with Iraq] was using psychological warfare tools for social influence. Some social media accounts are systematically and in a coordinated manner shifting the media focus on Persian Twitter to condemn the newly established government. These accounts, with a revolutionary appearance but under direct or indirect control and organization by the MEK, have been spreading a common phrase: ‘On the first day of Pezeshkian’s government, Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated.’ Unfortunately, some domestic accounts have been influenced by these messages and have reposted them. For this reason, the Attorney General’s Office issued a statement urging media and virtual activists to avoid discussing topics that could disrupt the psychological security of society.”
