IRGC Busts Vast Espionage Network Linked to US, ‘Israel' in Northern Iran
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander of Iran's Mazandaran province has announced that intelligence services from the US, 'Israel', and other adversarial countries have been actively trying to infiltrate Iran using foreign nationals and frequent travelers as cover.
IRGC provincial commander Brigadier General Siavash Moslemi announced the successful crackdown on Wednesday, stating that the operation not only foiled significant security threats but also prevented potential crises from unfolding.
IRGC dismantles Israeli-US linked networks in northern Iranhttps://t.co/gzyxKfy2TQ pic.twitter.com/yYZmstv9kJ
— IRNA News Agency (@IrnaEnglish) February 19, 2025
According to Moslemi, intelligence services from the US, 'Israel', and other hostile nations have been actively attempting to infiltrate Iran by posing as foreign nationals and displaced persons. Many of these foreign agents were operating under the guise of commercial companies, cultural centers, and charities, seeking to collect classified data and establish influence networks within the country.
However, IRGC forces were able to identify and dismantle the espionage cells through meticulous intelligence monitoring, the commander added.
This latest takedown comes on the heels of other recent IRGC operations against foreign spy networks. In January, the elite force arrested members of a network involved in gathering information about sensitive Iranian facilities in Khuzestan province for a foreign intelligence agency.
In December, the IRGC also apprehended an individual in Ardabil province on charges of affiliation with the spy agency of a neighboring country.
Additionally, Iran's Intelligence Ministry announced in late October that it had dismantled a separatist group linked to the Israeli regime that was planning to infiltrate the country from Iraqi Kurdistan in order to incite street riots and carry out assassinations. One of the group's key members was killed, while two others were arrested, and their weapons were confiscated during the operation.
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