Ministry of Intelligence (Iran)

Reliable and valid information on the ministry is often difficult to obtain.{{Cite web|url=http://www.country-data.com/cgi-bin/query/r-6549.html|title=Iran – SAVAMA|website=country-data.com}} Initially, the organization was known as SAVAMA,{{Cite web|url=https://www.acronymfinder.com/Sazman_E-Ettela%27at-Va-Amniat_E-Melli_E-Iran-(Ministry-of-Intelligence-and-National-Security,-Iranian-intelligence-organization-that-replaced-the-Shah%27s-SAVAK)-(SAVAMA).html|title=SAVAMA – Sazman-E Ettela'at Va Amniat-E Melli-E Iran (Ministry of Intelligence and National Security, Iranian intelligence organization that replaced the Shah's SAVAK) | AcronymFinder|website=acronymfindeلبیک یا خامنه ایr.com}} and intended to replace SAVAK, Iran's intelligence agency during the rule of the Shah, but it is unclear how much continuity there is between the two organizations—while their role is similar, their underlying ideology is radically different. It is suspected that the new government was initially eager to purge SAVAK elements from the new organization, but that pragmatism eventually prevailed, with many experienced SAVAK personnel being retained in their roles. Former SAVAK staff are believed to have been important in the ministry's infiltration of left-wing dissident groups and of the Iraqi Ba'ath Party.

The formation of the ministry was proposed by Saeed Hajjarian to the government of Mir-Hossein Mousavi and then the parliament. There were debates about which branch of the state should oversee the new institution, and the other options apart from the presidency were the Judiciary system, the Supreme Leader, and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Finally, the government got the approval of Ayatollah Khomeini to make it a ministry, but a restriction was added to the requirements of the minister: that he must be a doctor of Islam.

The ministry was finally founded on 18 August 1983, either abandoning, silently subsuming, or relegating to hidden existence many small intelligence agencies that had been formed in different governmental organizations. The five ministers since the founding of the ministry, have been Mohammad Reyshahri (under Prime Minister Mir-Hossein Mousavi), Ali Fallahian (under President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani), Ghorbanali Dorri-Najafabadi (under President Mohammad Khatami, resigned after a year), Ali Younessi (under President Khatami, until 24 August 2005), Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejehei (under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, from 24 August 2005 to 24 August 2009) and Heyder Moslehi (under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, from 29 August 2009 to 15 August 2013).

{{main|Chain murders of Iran}}

In late 1998, three dissident writers, a political leader and his wife were killed in Iran in the span of two months.{{cite news |title=Killing of 3 Rebel Writers Turns Hope to Fear in Iran |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/12/14/world/killing-of-3-rebel-writers-turns-hope-to-fear-in-iran.html |last=Douglas |first=Jehl |work=The New York Times |date=4 December 1998 |page=A6 |access-date=17 December 2014}}

After great public outcry and journalistic investigation in Iran and publicity internationally,{{cite web |last1=Sahebi |first1=Sima |title=You will answer, one day |url=http://www.iranian.com/BTW/2002/December/Pouyandeh/index.html |website=Iranian.com |access-date=17 December 2014 |location=San Francisco |date=12 December 2002}} prosecutors announced in mid-1999 that one Saeed Emami had led "rogue elements" in Iran's intelligence ministry in the killings, but that Emami was now dead, having committed suicide in prison.{{cite news |url=http://www.iran-press-service.com/articles_2000/dec_2000/ganji_named_fallahian_11200.htm |title=Ganji identified Fallahian as the 'master key' in chain murders |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130428020518/http://www.iran-press-service.com/articles_2000/dec_2000/ganji_named_fallahian_11200.htm |archive-date=28 April 2013 |agency= Iran Press Service}} In a trial that was dismissed as a sham by the victims' families and international human rights organisations,{{cite news |title=Iranian killers spared death penalty |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2704023.stm |access-date=17 December 2014 |publisher=BBC News|location=Middle East|date=29 January 2003}} three intelligence ministry agents were sentenced in 2001 to death and twelve others to prison terms for murdering two of the victims. Two years later, the Iranian Supreme Court reduced two of the death sentences to life.{{cite news |title=Iran – 2003 Annual report |url=http://www.en.rsf.org/iran-iran-2003-annual-report-26-03-2003,05382 |access-date=17 December 2014 |publisher=Reporters Sans Frontières (Reporters Without Borders) |date=7 April 2003}}{{dead link|date=November 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

Massoud Molavi Verdanjani, an online opposition activist, was shot and killed on a street in Istanbul's Şişli neighborhood on Thursday, 14 November 2019. A Turkish security official later claimed Verdanjani's suspected killer had confessed to acting under the orders of two Iranian intelligence officers at the Iranian consulate in Turkey.{{cite news |title=Exclusive: Iranian diplomats instigated killing of dissident in Istanbul, Turkish officials say |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-iran-killing-exclusive/exclusive-iranian-diplomats-instigated-killing-of-dissident-in-istanbul-turkish-officials-say-idUSKBN21E3FU |work=Reuters|date=27 March 2020}}{{cite news |title=Iranian Diplomats Instigated Killing of Dissident in Istanbul, Turkish Officials Say |url=https://en.radiofarda.com/a/iranian-diplomats-killing-of-dissident-in-istanbul/30513793.html |agency=Radio Farda |date=28 March 2020}}

On 20 April 2022, according to a statement by the semi-official Fars news agency, Iran's intelligence ministry claimed it had captured three Mossad spies.{{cite news |title=Iran arrests three Mossad spies, does not specify their nationalities -Fars news agency |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iran-arrests-three-mossad-spies-does-not-specify-their-nationalities-fars-news-2022-04-20/ |access-date=24 April 2022 |work=Reuters|date=20 April 2022}}

In November 2023, former European Parliament Vice-President Alejo Vidal-Quadras was shot in the face in Madrid. The attack, which he survived, is suspected to have connections to Iranian operatives, highlighting Iran's pattern of targeting dissidents abroad.{{Cite news |date=2024-07-14 |title=The Sunflowers Case: The petty criminal, the attempted assassination and the shadow cast by Iran |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/en/france/article/2024/07/14/the-sunflowers-case-the-petty-criminal-the-attempted-assassination-and-the-shadow-cast-by-iran_6684192_7.html?utm_ |access-date=2025-05-13 |language=en}}

In April 2025, the Dutch government summoned Iran's ambassador following the exposure of two assassination attempts linked to Tehran. These plots involved the use of criminal networks in Europe to silence critics of the Iranian regime.{{Cite news |date=2025 |title=Netherlands summons Iranian ambassador over alleged assassination attempts |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/netherlands-summons-iranian-ambassador-over-alleged-assassination-attempts-2025-04-24/?utm_}}

In May 2025, British authorities arrested five Iranian nationals suspected of plotting an attack on the Israeli embassy in London. The operation, described as one of the most significant counterterrorism actions in recent years, is believed to have been orchestrated by Iran's IRGC Unit 840.{{Cite web |last=Correspondent |first=Fiona Hamilton, Chief Reporter {{!}} George Grylls, Defence and Political |date=2025-05-07 |title=Iranian terror suspects ‘targeted Israeli embassy in London’ |url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/article/israel-embassy-iran-terror-plot-cbj8bfcsx?utm_ |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=www.thetimes.com |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Sabbagh |first=Dan |last2=Dodd |first2=Vikram |date=2025-05-08 |title=Iranians arrested in counter-terrorism raids allegedly targeted Israeli embassy |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/may/07/iranians-arrested-in-counter-terrorism-raids-allegedly-targeted-israeli-embassy?utm_ |access-date=2025-05-13 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}

Masih Alinejad - Iranian agents have been accused of multiple plots to kidnap or assassinate Iranian-American journalist Masih Alinejad in New York. These attempts underscore Iran's efforts to silence dissenting voices even on U.S. soil.{{Cite web |last=McLaughlin |first=Sarah |date=2024-11-18 |title=Iranian agents accused of attempted assassination on U.S. soil — again {{!}} The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression |url=https://www.thefire.org/news/blogs/free-speech-dispatch/iranian-agents-accused-attempted-assassination-us-soil-again?utm_ |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=www.thefire.org |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Phillips |first=Melanie |date=2025-03-24 |title=Why won’t Britain take the threat of Iran seriously? |url=https://www.thetimes.com/comment/columnists/article/why-wont-britain-take-the-threat-of-iran-seriously-bwmv5kdvz?utm_ |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=www.thetimes.com |language=en}}

Former U.S. Officials - The U.S. Department of Justice has charged Iranian national Shahram Poursafi with plotting to assassinate former National Security Adviser John Bolton. This plot was reportedly in retaliation for the U.S. killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in 2020.{{Cite web |date=2024-10-05 |title=Alleged plots against US campaign are only the latest examples of Iran targeting adversaries |url=https://apnews.com/article/iran-hacking-assassinations-plot-6cb2929fa7065ca8d8e21c6713087258 |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=AP News |language=en}}

The ministry received a ten fold increase in fundings in 2024.{{cite web | url=https://www.iranintl.com/en/202407211843 | title=Tenfold rise in intelligence ministry's budget raises eyebrows in Iran }}

{{Officeholder table start

| showorder = y

| showimage = y

| officeholder_title = Minister

| showtermlenght = y

| showelection = n

| showcoalition = n

| showcabinet = n

| showparty = n

| showaltofficeholder = y

| alt_officeholder_title = Head of government

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 1

| image = Mohammad Reyshahri 13990315 0345837.jpg

| officeholder = Mohammad Reyshahri

| officeholder_sort = Reyshahri, Mohammad

| born_year = 1946

| died_year = 2022

| term_start = 15 August 1984

| term_end = 29 August 1989

| timeinoffice = {{age in years and days|1984|8|15|1989|8|29}}

| cabinet = Mir-Hossein Mousavi

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 2

| image = Ali Fallahian in the Ministry of Interior.jpg

| officeholder = Ali Fallahian

| officeholder_sort = Fallahian, Ali

| born_year = 1949

| term_start = 29 August 1989

| term_end = 20 August 1997

| timeinoffice = {{age in years and days|1989|8|29|1997|8|20}}

| cabinet = Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 3

| image = قربانعلی دری نجف‌آبادی.jpg

| officeholder = Ghorbanali Dorri-Najafabadi

| officeholder_sort = Dorri-Najafabadi, Ghorbanali

| born_year = 1950

| term_start = 20 August 1997

| term_end = 9 February 1999

| timeinoffice = {{age in years and days|1997|8|20|1999|2|9}}

| cabinet = Mohammad Khatami

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 4

| image = Ali Younesi (cropped).jpg

| officeholder = Ali Younesi

| officeholder_sort = Younesi, Ali

| born_year = 1955

| term_start = 9 February 1999

| term_end = 24 August 2005

| timeinoffice = {{age in years and days|1999|2|9|2005|8|24}}

| cabinet = Mohammad Khatami

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 5

| image = Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ezhe'i 2018.jpg

| officeholder = Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i

| officeholder_sort = Mohseni-Eje'i, Gholam-Hossein

| born_year = 1956

| term_start = 24 August 2005

| term_end = 26 July 2009

| timeinoffice = {{age in years and days|2005|8|26|2009|7|23}}

| cabinet = Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = –

| officeholder = Majid Alavi{{citation|first=Sebastian|last=Rotella|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2012/07/30/before-deadly-bulgaria-bombing-tracks-of-a-resurgent-iran-hezbollah-threat/|title=Before Deadly Bulgaria Bombing, Tracks of a Resurgent Iran-Hezbollah Threat|date=30 July 2012|access-date=3 June 2016|work=The Foreign Policy}}{{citation|first=Ali|last=Alfoneh|url=https://www.aei.org/foreign-and-defense-policy/middle-east/irans-velvet-revolution-within/|title=Iran's Velvet Revolution Within|date=5 August 2009|access-date=3 June 2016|work=American Enterprise Institute}}

| image =

| born_year =

| term_start = 26 July 2009

| term_end = 26 July 2009

| timeinoffice = 1 day

| acting = y

| cabinet = Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = –

| officeholder = Mahmoud Ahmadinejad{{cite magazine|first=Abbas |last=Milani |url=https://newrepublic.com/article/407/inside-the-civil-war-thats-threatening-the-iranian-regime|title=Inside The Civil War That's Threatening The Iranian Regime|date=3 August 2009|access-date=3 June 2016|magazine=The New Republic}}

| image = Mahmoud Ahmadinejad 2009 (cropped).jpg

| born_year = 1956

| term_start = 28 July 2009

| term_end = 3 September 2009

| timeinoffice = {{Age in years and days|2009|7|28|2009|10|3}}

| acting = y

| cabinet = Himself

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 6

| image = Heydar Moslehi 2019.jpg

| officeholder = Heydar Moslehi

| officeholder_sort = Moslehi, Heydar

| born_year = 1957

| term_start = 3 September 2009

| term_end = 15 August 2013

| timeinoffice = {{age in years and days|2009|7|23|2013|8|15}}

| cabinet = Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 7

| image = سید محمود علوی Mahmoud Alavi 08.jpg

| officeholder = Mahmoud Alavi

| officeholder_sort = Alavi, Mahmoud

| born_year = 1954

| term_start = 15 August 2013

| term_end = 25 August 2021

| timeinoffice = {{age in years and days|2013|8|15|2021|8|25}}

| cabinet = Hassan Rouhani

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 8

| image = Ashtiani-Khatib-Rahimi 2024 (cropped) 2.jpg

| officeholder = Esmaeil Khatib

| officeholder_sort = Khatib, Esmaeil

| born_year = 1961

| term_start = 25 August 2021

| term_end = Incumbent

| timeinoffice = {{age in years and days|2021|8|25}}

| cabinet = Ebrahim Raisi{{Clear}}Masoud Pezeshkian

}}

{{Officeholder table end}}

• The Iran Cables (2019)
• Chain murders of Iran
• Oghab 2
• SAVAK
• Unit 840
• Iranian external operations

{{Reflist}}

• Yves Bonnet, Vevak, au service des ayatollahs: Histoire des services secrets iraniens, Timée-éditions, Boulogne-Billancourt, 2009. {{ISBN|978-2-35401-001-0}}. {{in lang|fr}}

{{commons category|Ministry of Intelligence (Iran)}}

• [http://vaja.ir/ Ministry of Intelligence (MOI) official site]

{{Intelligence Ministers of Iran}}

{{Ministries of Iran}}

{{External national intelligence agencies}}

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{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ministry of Intelligence And National Security of Iran}}

Category:1983 establishments in Iran

Intelligence

Category:Human rights abuses in Iran

Iran

Category:Iranian intelligence agencies

Category:Iranian security organisations

Category:Ministries established in 1983