Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has ordered its members to cease using communication devices after thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies, utilised by Hezbollah in Lebanon, exploded in a series of attacks last week, killing 39 people and injuring over 3,000.
Two senior Iranian security officials revealed that the attacks have triggered an expansive investigation within the IRGC, aimed at preventing potential Israeli infiltration.
One of the security officials, speaking to Reuters, said the IRGC is conducting a thorough review of all devices, including homemade and imported communication equipment from China and Russia.
The concern stems from the possibility that Israeli agents, including Iranians working for Israel, might have penetrated their ranks.
The official explained that they are inspecting all devices, not just communication equipment, adding that mid and high-ranking IRGC members are undergoing scrutiny, including checks on their bank accounts and travel records, both domestic and abroad.
The explosions, which occurred on Tuesday and Wednesday, targeted Hezbollah’s strongholds in Lebanon, with pager devices detonating on the first day and walkie-talkies exploding the next. While Lebanon and Hezbollah have blamed Israel for the attacks, Israel has not confirmed or denied involvement.
The IRGC has now halted the use of communication devices, switching to end-to-end encrypted messaging systems for internal communication.
However, the official declined to offer further details on the current method of communication among the IRGC’s 190,000 personnel.
Iran has also sent several exploded devices to Tehran for analysis by experts, and technical assessments are being conducted in cooperation with Hezbollah.
The attacks have caused significant concern within Iran’s leadership, prompting the IRGC to begin a broader investigation into potential security breaches. Iran’s Foreign, Defence, and Interior Ministries have yet to respond to the matter.
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