News

Tehran, Jun. 20 – An Iranian cleric who is little known in the West is heading an intelligence operation that was formed only last year to counter political unrest, and which has rapidly become the Tehran regime’s main security force.

Hojjatoleslam Hossein Taeb heads the Intelligence Organisation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) which was created in mid-2009 on the orders of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to centralise the security forces clamping down on unrest that followed the disputed presidential election.

Iran Focus has learnt that the organisation has also been tasked with accelerating Iran's nuclear projects, which are run by the IRGC.

Taeb reports directly to Khamenei.

In 2008, he became the first cleric to formally head the paramilitary Bassij militia, having been acting commander for nine months.

When anti-government protests swept the country last June, Taeb ordered the Bassij, an offshoot of the IRGC, to forcefully clamp down on unrest. The opposition says the violence left up to several hundred killed and thousands injured or arrested.