Iranian spy network stretches across GCC

Dubai: Iran has assembled a widespread network of infiltrators and collaborators across the Gulf, ready to destabilise the region when needed.

Tehran's former Ambassador to the UAE, Adel Al Assadi, has confirmed to Gulf News that the sleeper cells are in place, ready to become operational.

Speaking from Sweden where he is living in political asylum, Al Assadi said Iran's Revolutionary Guards have been covertly building the strategic force of collaborators since 1979.

"I will not be able to talk about numbers or plans because I defected from the regime in 2001 and never went back to Iran," Al Assadi said.

"What I can say about complaints that Iranian spies are working in Kuwait is correct in principle and Iran has an undercover presence in the six GCC countries."

Al Assadi was reacting to reports from Kuwait that the network was ready to destabilise the government there.

"[Iran] used to send them through a third country with a recommendation to the immigration authorities not to stamp their passports on entering and leaving the country," he said.

"I have no reason to think that this policy has stopped because the practice of recruiting agents in the Gulf is deeply rooted in the way the intelligence institution is operating and is considered a strong point for Iran," he added.

The Iranian Embassy in Kuwait has denied the presence of any members of the Revolutionary Guards in Kuwait among the 30,000 Iranians working there.

Divided into two groups

Al Assai told Gulf News the recruits are divided into two groups.

The first group was trained to collect information about various activities in the host countries.

"In my opinion, this kind of espionage has become accepted practice in diplomacy and almost all countries have agents in other countries to collect information," he said.

The second group is extremely dangerous, as it has been trained in methods to destabilise social peace in host countries. Such groups stay in a sleeping mode till the time is ripe to create unrest in these societies.

Al Assadi said he asked his bosses in Tehran to explain why Iran recruits thugs to become its agents in the region and the answer he got was that this is the business of the Revolutionary Guards and the Intelligence Agency.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its institutions exist just to provide cover for their work and offer them diplomatic immunity," he said. "I stood at a crossroads - either I had to agree to what the Revolutionary Guards and intelligence agencies used to do under the name of diplomacy or to leave my office, which is what I opted for."

The former envoy told Gulf News: "I think Tehran has enough manpower to destabilise the GCC countries, which is bad news. The good news is that Arab governments and people have become more alert about Iranian plots against the region after they were exposed in Iraq."

Tehran issues denial: Kuwait's concern

Iran's denial that it has collaborators and infiltrators ready to be activated in Kuwait has failed to curb the fears of some Members of Parliament, according to Al Khaleej Arabic daily newspaper.

Juma Al Harbash, a Kuwaiti MP, called for a full investigation and said the Iranian embassy's denial was not enough, because the country's security is not a game.

Another MP, Nasser Al Duwaila, stressed that 25,000 members of the Al Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards live in Kuwait as workers, and are ready to follow any instructions they receive.

Meanwhile, the public prosecution in Kuwait is still investigating a case against a security officer and policeman who allegedly received bribes. The accusations had kickstarted concerns over Iran's activities in the country.

Senior officials expected a full revision of the dossiers of security officers as a result of the case, and were also looking at admissions to military colleges and naturalisation dossiers dating back to 1994.

Tehran issues denial: Kuwait's concern

Iran's denial that it has collaborators and infiltrators ready to be activated in Kuwait has failed to curb the fears of some Members of Parliament, according to Al Khaleej Arabic daily newspaper.

Juma Al Harbash, a Kuwaiti MP, called for a full investigation and said the Iranian embassy's denial was not enough, because the country's security is not a game.

Another MP, Nasser Al Duwaila, stressed that 25,000 members of the Al Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards live in Kuwait as workers, and are ready to follow any instructions they receive.

Meanwhile, the public prosecution in Kuwait is still investigating a case against a security officer and policeman who allegedly received bribes. The accusations had kickstarted concerns over Iran's activities in the country.

Senior officials expected a full revision of the dossiers of security officers as a result of the case, and were also looking at admissions to military colleges and naturalisation dossiers dating back to 1994.