British military network in Iran
None
British military network in Iran | |
---|---|
Dates of operation | c. 1941–Unknown |
Allegiance | United Kingdom |
Allies |
MI6
SIME SOE |
Opponents |
Second Bureau
Abwehr Tudeh Military Network |
Battles and wars | 1953 Iranian coup d'état |
The British military network in Iran , an intelligence gathering network that infiltrated the Iranian Armed Forces , dates back to the World War II years and is distinguishable from the long-standing local civilian network run by the British in Iran. [1]
Activities
1940s
In early January 1942, the British Defence Security Organization in Tehran (DSO) was established. [2] The main objective of the British network at the time, was to thwart the efforts of German Abwehr network in Iran. [3]
1950s
MI6 compiled an "impressive military Who's Who " –detailed personal profiles about Iranian military personnel that included trivial information– with the help of this network, that proved useful in plotting the 1953 Iranian coup d'état . [1] A major function of the network was promotion of its own members while keeping others, especially leftists out of important positions. [1]
Known assets
The following military personnel are known to act as assets for the network, as of early 1950s:
- Gen. Hassan Arfa , former chief-of-staff [1]
- Col. Teymour Bakhtiyar , later director of SAVAK [1]
- Col. Hedayat Gilanshah, personal adjutant to the shah and later Air Force commander [1]
- Col. Hussein-Ghuli Ashrafi, a brigade commander in the Tehran garrison [1]
- Col. Hassan Akhavi, former commander of Second Bureau [1]
1960s
Known assets
The following military personnel were closely associated with the British, as of 1960s:
- Gen. Teymour Bakhtiyar , director of SAVAK [4]
- Gen. Mehdi Qoli Alavi-Moqadam, chief of police [4]
- Gen. Haj-Ali Kia, commander of Second Bureau [4]
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Abrahamian, Ervand (2013), The Coup: 1953, the CIA, and the roots of modern U.S.–Iranian relations , New York: New Press, The, pp. 151–152, ISBN 978-1-59558-826-5
- ↑ Seydi, Suleyman (2010), "Intelligence and Counter-Intelligence Activities in Iran during the Second World War", Middle Eastern Studies , 46 (5): 733–752, doi : 10.1080/00263206.2010.512783 , S2CID 146908209
- ↑ O'Sullivan, Adrian (2014). Nazi Secret Warfare in Occupied Persia (Iran): The Failure of the German Intelligence Services, 1939–45 . Springer. doi : 10.1057/9781137427915 . ISBN 9781137427892 .
- 1 2 3 Gasiorowski, Mark J. (November 1993), "The Qarani Affair and Iranian Politics", International Journal of Middle East Studies , 25 (4): 625–644, doi : 10.1017/S0020743800059298 , JSTOR 164538 , S2CID 154722900
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