INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
We describe our job, our daily tasks, our methods, and even how we feel about it
We discuss our professional hopes, our satisfaction with compensation, and our future plans
However, for a select few, such openness is impossible, even with their closest confidants.These individuals sacrifice personal comfort,
relationships, and sometimes even their lives for work that remains unseen and unfelt by the wider world, yet is vital to the security and
well-being of the nation."When we were getting married, he told me he couldn't tell me exactly what he did," recounted the widow of an
intelligence officer who died in service
"Of course, after he said that, I had some idea about where he worked
But until the day he died, we told everyone he was a fruit seller
He gave his life for his country, but no one knows it." The widow shared this story with Iranian TV, her face blurred for anonymity
Neither her name nor the name of her late husband were revealed.This year marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of Iran's Ministry
Prior to its creation, Iran lacked an intelligence agency subject to oversight and accountability by the public and their representatives in
the Iranian parliament.Tumultuous beginning, enduring strengthThe ministry's formation in 1983 coincided with a period of intense turmoil
for Iran, both domestically and internationally
Simultaneously, Iran faced deadly terrorist attacks within its borders, orchestrated by the Mujahedin-e-Khalq (MEK) terrorist organization
Moreover, elements within the nascent Islamic Republic were suspected of having ties to British, American, and Israeli intelligence
agencies, seeking to destabilize and potentially overthrow the government.In its initial years, the intelligence ministry, drawing on
personnel from the pre-existing intelligence community, primarily focused on neutralizing anti-Revolution threats
Given the scarcity of resources, the ministry had little capacity to reciprocate the actions of its adversaries
By 1990, however, intelligence forces had successfully neutralized a number of other significant threats
These included the Forqan group, responsible for several high-profile assassinations; the most prominent MEK networks operating within the
country; anti-Iranian communist groups collaborating with the U.S
to destabilize the government; a cell of MI6 agents spying on Iran's oil facilities; and CIA operatives gathering intelligence on the
country's military installations.Iran then turned its attention to terrorist organizations that had fled the country
A notable example is the 2010 capture of Abdolmalek Rigi, leader of the Jundallah terrorist group, while he was in transit by air
The intelligence service orchestrated the grounding of the plane, on which Rigi was traveling with an Afghan passport
The aircraft, en route to Central Asia, was diverted to Iranian territory in a manner that prevented the terrorist leader from endangering
terrorist activities in the southeastern Sistan and Balouchestan province, including many children.In a similar manner in 2023, the
ringleader of the Tondar terrorist group was successfully extradited and apprehended
Tondar had orchestrated a deadly bombing at a Shiraz religious gathering in 2009 and was planning to carry out similar acts in the
Nevertheless, the intelligence ministry recognizes the need for continuous improvement to prevent the incidents that still occur
periodically within the country
To that end, a shift in its modus operandi is planned.During a speech commemorating the 40th anniversary of the entity's establishment,
Iran's Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib signaled a shift in strategy, stating that Iran will no longer only wait for security threats to
reach its borders before neutralizing them
"Iran will maintain a strategy of 'threat against threat and aggression against aggression,'" Khatib told his colleagues and their families
in remarks later published on the ministry's website
"We will precisely reciprocate any adventurism, malice, or unwarranted interference by enemies, including the United States and the Zionist
regime, within their own environments and territories."While leaving the ceremony, another woman who lost her husband during an intelligence
operation said she was not worried about the future of her children
