The Assassination of Fakhrizadeh—A Major  Iranian Counterintelligence Failure?
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The Assassination of Fakhrizadeh—A Major Iranian Counterintelligence Failure?

The assassination of Iranian top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh is one of numerous assassinations in Iran conducted by foreign powers ever since 2007. In the past six months, assassins have in addition to Fakhrizadeh also been able to kill Al-Qaida’s no. 2 on Iranian soil. The three most important organizations in the Iranian intelligence community…

Iran Might Purge Its Intelligence and Counterintelligence Community
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Iran Might Purge Its Intelligence and Counterintelligence Community

Mohsen Rezaee, a high-ranking official of the Islamic Republic in Iran, has admitted that top-secret Iranian nuclear documents were stolen in a raid of a Tehran warehouse by Israeli operatives in 2018—a raid the regime had denied ever occurred. Rezaee is calling for a purge of the Iranian intelligence and counterintelligence community, which could result…

The Attack on Natanz and the JCPOA
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The Attack on Natanz and the JCPOA

In the morning hours of April 11, the Natanz nuclear facility in Iran was attacked, allegedly by Israel. The strike came at a sensitive time, as Iran and world powers are discussing Washington’s return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and the removal of sanctions. According to Israeli estimates, as the Islamic Republic does not wish to…

The Pahlavis and the Other Side of the Coins

The Pahlavis and the Other Side of the Coins

It was with great interest that I read “Political Power of Iranian Hierocracies” by János Jany published in Comparative Civilizations Review (83, 2020: 67-102). Writing about Iranian history is not an easy task because historical points of view have been highly politicized. Such is particularly the case when discussing the Pahlavi dynasty, particularly its founder,…