LONDON: The Iranian regime has removed senior leaders in its security apparatus, including a general in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, amid fears that Israeli spying has led to recent mistakes and killings, The Telegraph reported.
The British daily said a senior general in the IRGC was arrested on suspicion of spying for Israel after the corps’ intelligence chief Hossein Tayeb lost his job.
Tayeb was fired after several embarrassing security blunders, with Israeli officials describing the Iranian regime as “shocked” and “astonished”.
Israel foiled an Iranian plot to kill Israelis in Turkey, publicly warning its citizens of an impending attack and arresting several people allegedly linked to IRGC cells.
In May, Israel published a collection of Iranian documents that detailed threats to its nuclear program.
Recently – and in the most troublesome thing for the regime – two nuclear scientists were killed by poisoning at separate dinner parties, which Tehran suspected was done by Israel.
Israeli officials told the Telegraph that the recent mix of information and attack operations was part of a strategy called the “octopus theory”, which compares the regime’s leadership to that of an octopus head and its various proxies and forces – such as in Lebanon. Hezbollah and IRGC across the region – in the form of traps.
But instead of limiting the impact of those tentacles, the Israeli military is now moving to strike the beast directly on the head.
“The Iranians saw all the information Israel released as a big slap in the face. And they were shocked. They were upset by it,” an Israeli security official told the Telegraph, adding that the doctrine “proved effective.” Has happened. It has shaken the entire leadership of Iran.”
Analysts in Iran told the Telegraph that Teib was a key figure in Tehran’s leadership, enjoying close ties with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
“His informal dismissal heralds more political purge within the regime as it faces domestic discontent and challenges to its regional policy,” said London-based Iran observer Dr. Reza Taghizade.
Dr. Kylie Moore-Gilbert, an Australian-British academic and former hostage to the regime, said Taeb was referred to as “The Judge” because of the interrogation and hostage practices she witnessed.
“Most theories for Taeb’s removal are due to the inability of IRGC Intel to stop operating inside Iran’s borders, including the high-profile killings,” Moore-Gilbert said.
“The IRGC intelligence organization is not a professional intelligence agency, its members are recruited on the basis of ideological and religious affiliation, and everything is kept ‘in the family’ – you must have contacts and people already inside Gotta know to put a foot in the door,” he added.
“As a result, many of its workers are incompetent and poorly skilled for the job. Many of them lack a security mindset or a proper understanding of espionage conduct.”