The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) intelligence forces have disbanded a team planning to carry out acts of sabotage and terrorist operations in the northern Iranian province of Gilan.
The public relations office of the Quds Force of Gilan said in a statement on Thursday the 25 members of the band have been arrested.
The statement added that the sabotage design had in the cross hairs sensitive and strategic installations.
Enemies failed to implement anti-Iran terrorist plots: Intelligence Minister
Meanwhile, Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmaeil Khatib said enemies have failed to implement their terrorist plots against the Islamic Republic.
Commenting on the 2022 student poisonings in some schools, Khatib told IRIB TV3 television channel in an exclusive interview that stink bombs, different types of pepper and tear gas sprays as well as insecticides were employed during the incidents.
“Last year's developments show that enemies make use of various networks, especially in cyberspace and through media outlets, to incite riots. Therefore, [Iranian] journalists and authorities must focus their efforts on clarification of unrest and satisfaction of the public opinion,” Khatib said.
The Iranian intelligence minister went on to say that enemies have come to the conclusion that they cannot reap any results out of social disturbances and street riots in Iran, and would only succeed in advancing their agendas by means of destabilizing the Iranian society and conducting terrorist operations across the country.
“The high number of bombs defused in Iran attests that terrorists survive on financial aids coming from Europe.
“Once Westerners had invested in training operatives for acts of terror, and working on encrypted online communication as well as citizen journalism. This year, enemies had devoted their efforts since the beginning of this year’s [lunar calendar month of] Muharram to foment unrest in different parts of the country in mid-October,” Khatib said.
The Iranian intelligence minister highlighted that the glut of a considerable amount of firearms into Iran shows enemies have been trying to communicate with rioters on ethnic and separatist pretexts.