British military network in Iran

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]

British military network in Iran
Participant in Middle East theatre of World War II and Cold War
Activec. 1941–Unknown
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
AlliesMI6
SIME
SOE
Opponent(s)Second Bureau
Abwehr
Tudeh Military Network
Battles and war(s)1953 Iranian coup d'état

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:

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References
  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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.
  4. 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
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