Author: Vasil Ghlonti

 

Against the backdrop of the complex political and economic processes taking place around the world, the Iranian Special Services have become particularly active over the past four years, operating both regionally and globally. Their destructive actions have intensified in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Israel, and even in the United States, especially since the start of the Russian-Ukrainian war and given the renewed confrontation between Israel and Palestinian terrorist organizations.

The purpose of our blog is to define and discuss the goals of the Iranian Special Services, and to analyze their activities and interests in the mentioned countries.

Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Yemen

Given that Iran views the Middle East as its sphere of influence, it seeks to establish its political, economic and military hegemony in this most important and richest region of the world. In our opinion, Iran’s establishment of the so-called Shiite Axis of Resistance (uniting the Shiite Arabs living in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen) through its Special Services and military structures confirms the above claim. Terrorist organizations trained by intelligence and sabotage services of the Axis of Resistance, such as Lebanese Hezbollah, the Iraq-supported Al-Hashd al-Shaabi and Kata’ib Hezbollah, Yemeni’s Ansarullah, Palestinian Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PLFP), have become not only a regional but also a global threat.

In this context, our attention is drawn to the fact that the Iranian Special Services are trying to form a unified military force, banding together these organizations. This is evidenced by the fact that, in 2024, the 10,000-strong special forces unit, the “General Qasem Soleimani Forces,” was formed from pro-Iranian proxy fighters under the supervision and funding of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran, and is currently undergoing training in military camps in Iran and Iraq. Its members are carefully selected Yemeni Houthis, Lebanese Hezbollah fighters, Palestinian Hamas, Islamic Jihad fighters, Iraq’s Kata’ib Hezbollah, Shiite Militias, the Brigade of Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas in Syria, the al-Baqir Brigade, the Afghan Fatemiyoun Brigade and the Pakistani Zainebiyoun Brigade. This will be a division consisting of experienced, professional fighters, which will most likely have its own intelligence, counterintelligence and special operations units. This group, on the instructions of the Iranian Special Services, will be able to carry out terrorist operations not only in the Middle East region, but also beyond its borders, making it a threat of global significance. The name implies that this special unit is led by the the Al-Quds Special Unit of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, whose commander was Iranian General Qassem Suleimani. Most likely, one of the main functions of the military group is to fight Israel and the US. Against this background, it is expected that the group, with the help of the Iranian Special Services, may actively engage in the international drugs trade, employing it as its main sources of funding. This is evidenced by the fact that the Iranian Guard Corps  (especially the Quds Special Unit), the Syrian Assad regime and Lebanese Hezbollah are already actively involved in the production and transportation of drugs. Factories in Syria produce various types of drugs, the most famous of which, and one that generates a massiverevenue, being Captagon.

Through the Iranian IRGC, drugs production facilities were opened in Iraq, in which the Iraqi Shiite terrorist Hizbullah Brigade is actively assisted by the Lebanese Hezbollah, operating under the direct supervision of the Al-Quds special unit of the IRGC, whose members are responsible for the delivery of drugs to Mediterranean ports and their further transportation to European countries. This is also confirmed by the fact that, in 2020, Hezbollah attempted to smuggle 15 tons of Captagon into Italy. The Israeli-launched military operations in southern Lebanon in 2024 casued serious problems for the drug business of the IRGC and Hezbollah, and their members are now actively seeking to not only stop, but to also boost sales of illegal drugs in Europe.

It is also interesting that, according to the Ukrainian Military Intelligence, the Iranian IRGC and the Lebanese terrorist organization Hezbollah are training Russian UAV operators at Shayrat Airfield in Syria. According to the Ukrainian Intelligence Service, along with the Russians, Syrian mercenaries, whom the Kremlin plans to use in the war against Ukraine as UAV operators, are also undergoing training. It is possible that this factor prompted Ukraine to providemilitary assistance to the Syrian opposition, which contributed to the overthrow of the Bashar al-Assad regime. However, the Ukrainian side officially denies this fact. Against the background of these developments, the Iranian Special Services and military structures faced major problems in Syria, as evidenced by their abrupt withdrawal from the country.

Turkey

Our interest was aroused by the fact that, according to a statement from Turkish Minister of Defense Yaşar Güler, contacts between the Iranian Special Services and the so-called Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) have intensified of late. In particular, the Iranian Guards Corps supplies the PKK, labelled as a terrorist organization, with various weapons. Our attention is drawn to the fact that, while, until now, the Iranian Special Services and Army were fighting against the PJAK, a branch of the Kurdish PKK, now, on the contrary, Iran is trying to reconcile with yesterday’s enemy and actively cooperate with it. The issue of Israel is also interesting given its traditionally good positions in the regions inhabited by ethnic Kurds. The question arises: is the increased influence of the Iranian Special Services on the Kurdistan Workers’ Party acceptable to Tel Aviv? Of course, the answer is no. The resources of a terrorist organization experienced in such battles, terrorist activities, sabotage and wars in the hands of Iran will pose a considerable threat to Israel. Given that the Iranian Special Services closely cooperate with Palestinian Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PLFP), the PKK’s potential, even temporary, shift towards the Iranian side will undoubtedly create additional challenges for Israel. In our view, Israel will likely respond by intensifying its intelligence operations in the Kurdish regions of southeastern Turkey, as well as in Syria, Iraq, and Iran, given the increased risks. First, the significant Jewish diaspora in Kurdish-populated areas would be at risk, and second, Israel’s substantial business interests in the energy sector in these regions would also be threatened.

Israel

In recent years, the Iranian Special Services have been particularly active in recruiting Israeli citizens and using them to obtain intelligence information. Moreover, in some cases, the Iranian Guards Corps uses Israeli citizens to carry out subversive and terrorist activities on the territory of their own country. This is also evidenced by the fact that, in August 2024, the Israeli Security Agency (Shabak) and the Lehav-433 serious crime unit of the Israeli Police, arrested Motti (Mordechai) Maman, a resident of the Israeli city of Ashkelon, who had been recruited by the Iranian Intelligence Agencies in a plot to kill top Israeli officials, including the Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu; the then Defense Minister, Yoav Galant; the Shabak Director, Ronen Bar; and the former Prime Minister, Naftali Bennett, in exchange for USD 1 million. In the same context, in October of this year, the Israeli Special Services arrested and accusedVladimir Verhovski, a resident of the city of Tel Aviv and an Israeli citizen repatriated from Ukraine, of spying for the Iranian Special Services. According to Israeli Shabak, Verhovski was gathering intelligence information for Iran, taking photos and videos of strategic objects, and plotting to assassinate an Israeli scientist in exchange for money (both USD and cryptocurrency).

Interestingly, a similar incident occurred in October when Vladislav Viktorson, a resident of the Israeli city of Ramat Gan, and two of his acquaintances, including his girlfriend Anna Bernstein, were exposed as having ties with the Iranian Special Services, and were charged accordingly. We believe that the arrest of nine Azerbaijani Jews deserves even more attention due to its scale and significance. Seven of them were arrested at the first stage, and two more later. We find it particularly noteworthy that members of this spy network had been collecting intelligence information for two years, capturing photos and videos of strategic military and special facilities, and passing it on to the Iranian Special Services. Through these actions they seriously damaged Israel’s defense capabilities during the war with Hamas and Hezbollah, since the Israeli Special Services were late in their identification. The numerous recruitment cases carried out by Iranian intelligence services suggest a significant level of infiltration into Israel. However, Israel’s intelligence agencies spare no effort in neutralizing their destructive activities.

USA

Since Iran considers the US, along with Israel, as its main strategic adversary, the Iranian Special Services are trying to strengthen their intelligence positions there. This is confirmed by the fact that in 2024 alone, two high-profile cases of the Iranian Special Services activity were recorded in the US. On July 12, 2024, the FBI, the US Counterintelligence Division, arrested Asif Merchant, a Pakistani citizen who was working with a hitman on the territory of the US to carry out the assassinations of high-ranking US officials. The US Special Services identified that he had been tasked to do so by the Iranian Special Services. In addition, the Iranian Special Services recruited Farhad Shakeri, a US citizen of Iranian origin, who, together with local, New York City residents, Carlisle Rivera and Jonathon Loadholt, were tasked to develop a plan to kill Donald Trump and former senior officials in his administration. Most likely, this is related to the fact that Iranian Special Services want to retaliate for the assassination of General Qasem Soleimani of the IRGC by Donald Trump’s administration. There is also reliable information that Trump plans to drastically increase sanctions on Iran and throttle its oil sales as soon as he becomes president. This will create serious problems for the Iranian regime. Accordingly, Donald Trump is unacceptable to Iran in all respects, and is one of the main targets of its intelligence services.

Iranian spies have managed not only to penetrate US territory with relative ease, but also to successfully carry out recruitment. Yet it must be recognized that their special operations on US territory always end in failure, which speaks of the high professionalism of American intelligence and counterintelligence structures. A noteworthy detail is that the Iranian Guard Corps meticulously selects candidates for its reconnaissance and sabotage missions, among whom there are even US citizens. This means that the Special Services of the Iranian regime operate all over the world, at a fairly high professional level, which poses a significant threat to the civilized world.

Conclusion

It is an indisputable fact that the Iranian Special Services are seeking to strengthen their positions in the Middle East. For this purpose, they are trying to use the resources of terrorist organizations in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen,which are part of the so-called Shiite Axis of Resistance. Moreover, Iran, with the help of its Special Services, strives to further expand the capabilities of the Axis and unite Hamas of Sunni Islamists, Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine within it.

It is noteworthy that the activities of the Iranian Special Services have intensified in the oil-rich regions populated by Kurds, where Israel has energy interests. It is possible that Iran, by strengthening its positions on these territories, intends to establish an energy and economic blockade of Israel. In general, Israel remains one of the main targets of the Iranian regime and its special services, and as such, their confrontation is expected to intensify further, as evidenced by the fact that Israel bombed Iranian-affiliated military facilities in Syria immediately after the overthrow of the Assad regime. In our opinion, the confrontation between the Iranian and US Special Services will also continue. It is likely that the Iranian Special Services will continue their attempts to penetrate the territory of Israel and the US, recruit their citizens, and carry out sabotage/terrorist attacks. Against this backdrop, the confrontation may spread to countries that largely represent the interests of the US, or to those where the Jewish diaspora exists and functions. As such, it cannot be ruled out that the Iranian Special Services will also become active in Georgia, especially since a similar precedent has occurred before.