Iran’s Emissaries of Terror explains the extent to which Tehran’s embassies and diplomats are at the core of both the planning and execution of international terrorism targeting Iranian dissidents, as well as central to Tehran’s direct and proxy terrorism against other countries. To this end, Tehran’s embassies and consulates serve as hubs, while its diplomats act as controllers and operatives.

Year 2018 witnessed a marked surge in Tehran’s terror and espionage plots and operations on the Western soil, from the United States, to France and Albania.  Thankfully, these terror plots were neutralized, but they served as a wakeup call for Europe and the U.S.

The escalation of terrorist acts in 2018 targeting the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI), also known as Mujahedin-e-Khalq-Iran (MEK), and the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) coalition to which it belongs, is directly linked to its role in the broad-based revolt in Iran’s streets.

This book shows that Tehran’s acts of terror are not merely the work of a few rogue elements, but indeed are directed at the highest levels of the regime, with the authorization of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei himself.

The surge in Tehran’s terror and espionage on Western soil has intensified conversation in Western capitals on the need for pragmatic, effective and pro-active measures to counter the regime’s terrorism.

The book shows how the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp (IRGC) and the Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) are terror partners. It also makes the case that, as a follow up to the long-overdue designation of the IRGC as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), MOIS be similarly designated by the U.S., and blacklisted by Europe; Iran’s terrorist-diplomats be expelled; and the agents of its intelligence services be prosecuted and/or expelled from the U.S. and Europe.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Foreign Minster occupy one chapter of this book to show the full cooperation of this agency in all terror operations in Europe over the past three decades.

In 2018 alone, under Mohammad Javad Zarif’s stewardship of the Foreign Ministry, five diplomats have been expelled from three European countries, including regime’s ambassador to Albania, who was expelled in December 2019 for his role in masterminding a truck- bombing terror plot. Another senior diplomat is in a Belgian jail awaiting trial. A dozen agents, who were directed and funded by the embassies and were all involved in terror plots, are also in jail.

This book comes in seven chapters and contains dozens of pictures, graphs, and charts, as well as 164 endnote, and is a well-documented source for examining the terror apparatus of the Iranian regime.

Summary

Introduction

Chapter One: A Moribund Regime Resorts
to Terrorism to Target Its Opposition

• Upsurge in terrorist operations in the West
• Tehran sets its sights on MEK in Albania
• Bomb plot against Resistance rally in Paris
• U.S. Congress reacts to Paris bombing plot
• Terrorists arrested plotting U.S. operations
• Assassination plot in Denmark
• EU nations take action

Chapter Two: Tehran’s Embassies, HQs for Terrorism

• Albania
• Austria
• France
• Germany
• Italy
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Turkey

Chapter Three: Foreign Ministers and Foreign Ministry’s Role in Terrorist Operations

• A key component of mullahs’ terror apparatus
• Terror operations surge under Mohammad Javad Zarif
• Foreign Ministry’s links to the Quds Force

Chapter Four: Terrorist Decision-Making in Tehran

• Role of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei
  • The Special Affairs Office of the Supreme Leader
• Other key decision-making and executive agencies for terrorism
  • Supreme National Security Council (SNSC)
  • Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS)
  • IRGC Quds Force
  • IRGC Intelligence Organization (IIO)

Chapter Five: IRGC and MOIS,
Terror Partners

• The IRGC as the MOIS’ Godfather
• Ministry of Intelligence in the cabinet
• Majid Alavi: Swinging between MOIS and IRGC
• Mullah Hossein Taeb: Former MOIS Deputy and Current IRGC Intelligence Chief

Chapter Six: Iran’s Terror Masterminds

• Reza Amiri Moqaddam
• Assadollah Assadi
• Gholamhossein Mohammadnia 4
• Mostafa Roudaki
• Mohammad Ali Arzpeima Nemati

Chapter Seven: Terrorists Promoted in Iran

• Mohammad Jafari Sahraroudi
• Anis al-Naqqash
• Kazem Darabi
• Ghafour Darjazi

Policy Recommendations

Appendix

Endnotes

List of Publications

About the NCRI-US