On June 22, Iran’s state media broke a week-long silence to reveal a previously undisclosed high-profile meeting held on June 15
The meeting, which took place in Mashhad, brought together an assembly of the regime’s highest-ranking officials, including Mohammad Mohammadi Golpaygani, Ali Khamenei’s chief of staff, Intelligence Minister Esmaeil Khatib, IRGC Intelligence Organization chief Mohammad Kazemi, IRGC Chief Hossein Salami, Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi, and the Secretary of Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), Ali Akbar Ahmadian.
The supreme leader highlighted the lack of synergy between the Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) and the IRGC Intelligence Organization, stressing the urgency for cooperation and understanding at all echelons of these entities.
The secrecy surrounding the gathering underscores the alarmingly deep divide within the regime, a fact further confirmed by Khamenei’s short message relayed through Golpaygani.
Despite Khamenei’s assertion that a “serious understanding” exists at the top of these organizations, recent events tell a different tale. Khamenei’s removal of Hossein Taeb as head of the IRGC Intelligence Organization was met with criticism from Taeb, who bemoaned a “generational divide” and internal discord within the regime.
Salami’s comments during the meeting further underscored this rift. He highlighted the need for alignment between the MOIS and IRGC Intelligence Organization to present a unified image and to avoid “political astigmatism.”
These internal disputes, particularly between the MOIS and IRGC Intelligence Organization, are not new. Still, the recent escalation of these conflicts signifies a growing sense of threat within the regime.
This unease is mirrored in the remarks of Mohammad Shirazi, Chief of Staff of the Commander in Chief, who noted the imminent danger of uprisings and the need to counter “the enemy’s conspiracies.”
Ahmadian, the newly appointed secretary of the SNSC, also stressed the need for a “unified strategy,” cautioning against dwelling on internal disputes during this precarious period.
Khamenei’s intervention in the dispute reveals the state of alarm within the regime, brought on by increasing societal tension and the looming threat of nationwide uprisings. The unrest at the heart of Iran’s intelligence apparatus could be the spark to ignite this volatile situation.
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