Iran accuses foreign intelligence behind protest movement

Israel’s covert operations successful Iran spark allegations of destabilising protests arsenic tensions escalate.

Iranian authorities person been progressively wide that they judge overseas countries are down the unrest sweeping the state – and are progressive successful fomenting unrest connected the ground.

On Monday, President Masoud Pezeshkian shifted absorption distant from Iran’s stuttering system and suppression of dissent and towards his country’s longstanding geopolitical adversaries, Israel and the United States.

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Speaking connected authorities broadcaster IRIB, Pezeshkian claimed that “the aforesaid radical that struck this country” during Israel’s 12-day warfare past June were present “trying to escalate these unrests with respect to the economical discussion”.

“They person trained immoderate radical wrong and extracurricular the country; they person brought successful immoderate terrorists from outside,” helium said, alleging that those liable had attacked a bazaar successful the bluish metropolis of Rasht and acceptable “mosques connected fire”.

The imaginable of nonstop overseas involution successful enactment of Iran’s protesters appears to beryllium increasing daily, with US President Donald Trump repeatedly signalling a readiness to attack.

In Israel, far-right Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu told Army Radio past week, “When we attacked successful Iran during ‘Rising Lion’ [Israel’s June attack connected Iran], we were connected its ungraded and knew however to laic the groundwork for a strike. I tin guarantee you that we person immoderate of our radical operating determination close now,” stopping abbreviated of claiming that Israeli agents were seeking authorities change.

Writing connected societal media earlier this month, erstwhile US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who is besides a erstwhile manager of the CIA, did admit the beingness of Israeli agents operating connected the crushed successful Iran, wishing “Happy New Year to each Iranian successful the streets. Also to each Mossad cause walking beside them.”

Israel’s enemy

Despite its wars with Syria, Yemen, Lebanon and the genocide it has unleashed connected Gaza, it is Iran that looms largest successful the minds of galore Israelis arsenic the astir deadly of the galore enemies they face.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly claimed that Tehran stands connected the brink of processing atomic weapons and is liable for backing Israel’s opponents crossed the region.

“I don’t cognize if it’s Netanyahu pushing it oregon the full of society,” Israeli governmental idiosyncratic Ori Goldberg said. “Israelis are hopeless for immoderate motion of a … masterplan successful which they … volition unite against immoderate foe threatening their destruction.”

Israel has a past of covert operations successful Iran.

Previous Israeli operations person targeted Iran’s atomic and rocket programmes and embedded agents and weapons systems wrong Iranian territory.

Israeli quality has besides exploited its beingness wrong Iran to behaviour a bid of high-profile assassinations of atomic scientists and politicians, including the Palestinian radical Hamas’s governmental person Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed portion attending Pezeshkian’s inauguration ceremonial successful July 2024.

Members of the Iranian constabulary be a pro-government rally successful Tehran, Iran [Stringer/WANA (West Asia News Agency)]

Israel is besides wide acknowledged to person infiltrated heavy into Iran and its information networks successful the weeks earlier the June war. At that time, Israel was not lone capable to people scientists and officials progressive successful the country’s atomic programme for assassination, but besides to assemble and motorboat drones from wrong Iranian territory.

“My presumption is that the Mossad is progressive successful Tehran down the scenes,” said Ahron Bregman, who teaches astatine King’s College London and has written extensively connected Israeli quality operations. “Israeli officials are unusually quiet. [There are] wide instructions not to speech [and] not to beryllium seen to beryllium progressive successful immoderate way.”

“I presume determination are Israeli agents connected the ground, reporting backmost connected the concern from the streets, peculiarly present that the net successful Iran is down,” helium continued. “Operationally, it is easier to bash things connected the crushed arsenic it is truthful chaotic now.”

In the eyes of galore analysts, Iran’s internal cohesion has been fundamentally undermined by the long-running series of protests and unrest, which has allowed for the infiltration of overseas information services.

Exacerbating those fissures has been the toxic substance of crippling sanctions, corruption and the deaths of protesters.

“I’d beryllium precise amazed if Israeli agents were not progressive wrong Iran close now,” defence expert Hamze Attar said. “They’re going to beryllium doing everything they tin to marque definite these protests proceed and escalate.”

“Principally, they’re going to effort to supply the demonstrators with what they request most: exposure,” Attar continued. “People person travel to expect unit from the Iranian regime. What [the protesters] request is to cognize it’s not for nothing. That’s what Israel and the US volition beryllium focusing on: providing the net entree that volition let radical to stock footage of what’s happening to them. The protesters volition cognize wherever [what countries that support] is coming from, but close present – successful the midst of the chaos – they’re precise improbable to care.”