[ad_1]
(Reuters) – The Revolutionary Guards, the elite military body of the Islamic Republic of Iran, ordered all of its members to stop using any type of telecommunications device after the wave of explosions deadly beeper and walkie-talkie attacks targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon, two senior Iranian security officials told Reuters.
According to one of them, the “Pasdaran” launched a large-scale operation to check all their devices, and not just telecommunications equipment. Most of these devices are either locally manufactured or imported from China and Russia, he said.
The regime fears having been infiltrated by Israeli agents, including Iranians enlisted by the Jewish state. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has undertaken an in-depth investigation into its members, particularly high-ranking and mid-ranking officers, said the official, who requested anonymity.
“This includes examining their bank accounts in Iran and abroad, as well as the travel history of themselves and their families,” the source added.

Iran’s foreign, defense and interior ministries did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Thirty-nine people were killed and more than 3,000 others injured Tuesday and Wednesday in Lebanon during two consecutive waves of explosions of pagers and mobile radio phones used mainly by members of Hezbollah.
Lebanon and Iran-backed Hezbollah accuse Israel of being behind the attacks. Israel has neither denied nor confirmed its involvement.
One of the two officials interviewed by Reuters refused to give details of the means of communication used by the IRGC, which has more than 190,000 members. “At the moment we use end-to-end encryption in messaging systems,” he said simply.
According to the same official, the Iranian authorities are experiencing great concern. IRGC officials contacted Hezbollah for technical evaluations. The Shiite movement transmitted to Tehran several models of devices that exploded so that they could be examined by Iranian experts.
MISSILES, NUCLEAR FACILITIES
According to the second Iranian official, the Islamic Republic’s main concern is the protection of the country’s nuclear and missile facilities, particularly buried infrastructure.
“But since last year, security measures at these sites have been considerably strengthened,” he said. The Iranian authorities took this decision out of fear of Israeli sabotage of their missile program in 2023, an intention attributed by Tehran to the Jewish state, which has never commented on this allegation.
“There have never been security measures as strict and extreme as today,” continues the official, suggesting that the level of security has gone up a notch since the unprecedented explosions in Lebanon.
The Revolutionary Guard Corps, created after the Islamic Revolution of 1979, is considered the armed wing of the regime and maintains close ties with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, supreme leader of the Islamic Revolution since 1989.
In addition to political and economic ramifications, this elite unit has land, naval and air forces that monitor the country’s strategic weapons.
Its influence is exercised in the Middle East through the Al-Quds Force, its branch responsible for intelligence and external operations. The latter provides financing, weapons, technology and training to Tehran’s regional allies: Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis in Yemen and armed militias in Iraq.
According to the first source, the Iranian military uses encrypted telecommunications devices, including walkie-talkies, to ensure secure communication.
Although models and brands vary, Iranian military communications equipment is often designed locally or sourced from domestic and foreign suppliers, she added.
She said the Iranian armed forces have not used pagers for more than twenty years.
Tehran has developed its own means of military radio transmissions via its defense industry in order to reduce its dependence on foreign imports, particularly due to sanctions imposed by the West in connection with its nuclear program, the source explained.
In the past, however, Iran has imported telecommunications devices from China, Russia and Japan.
(Written by Samia Nakhoul, French version Pauline Foret, edited by Sophie Louet)
©2024 Thomson Reuters, all rights reserved. Reuters content is the intellectual property of Thomson Reuters or its third party content providers. Any copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters. Thomson Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. “Reuters” and the Reuters Logo are trademarks of Thomson Reuters and its affiliated companies.
[ad_2]
Source link -87