Iranian Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi has accused intelligence services of Iran’s neighbors, as well as those of countries farther afield, of being directly involved in actions against Iran's national security.
Without further elaboration, mid-ranking cleric Alavi said foreign intelligence services are supporting "anti-Islamic Revolution" terrorist groups in full force.
Alavi was responding to a question raised by an ultraconservative legislator in the Iranian Parliament on December 18.
"What measures have been taken by the Intelligence Ministry in 2018 to rein in actions threatening national security and neutralize security-related crises?" MP Jahanbakhsh Mohebinia asked.
While admitting that Iran's security situation has changed in recent years, Alavi responded, "We are in a situation where the intelligence services of neighboring and even faraway countries have directly stepped in against Iran's security in full force and support (anti-Islamic Revolution) terrorist groups with cash, goods, and training."
With the much tougher American stance against the Islamic Republic, several mass protests this year and facing sanctions and an economic crisis, Tehran has become apprehensive about security.
Pointing a finger at regional countries' intelligence organizations, particularly Israel’s, Alavi said they are engaged in organizing different anti-Islamic Revolution forces.
On September 22, at least four attackers targeted a military parade in Ahvaz, capital of the oil-rich Khuzestan province, which has a large Arab population. The attack left at least 24 people dead, including spectators and more than sixty injured. An Arab separatist group, as well as the Islamic State group claimed responsibility.
SEE ALSO: MPs Call Ahvaz Terrorist Attack An Intelligence DisasterHe added that various opposition groups are attempting to unify under the U.S. supportive umbrella.
Lamenting that the budget allocated to his ministry has not been increased in recent years, Alavi said that the expectations from his department have grown. "While we used to focus on one single terrorist group every three months, now we uncover two terrorist groups per week," he said. "In the past, terrorists armed with Kalashnikovs used to enter Iran on pickups, but nowadays they come on SUVs, riding high-speed motorbikes and with machine guns and even 23 mm anti-air artillery."
Alavi's comments echoed previous remarks made by former commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).
Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of the influential Expediency Discernment Council (EDC) and former chief commander of the IRGC, recently said U.S. intelligence agents have infiltrated the government of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.
He also accused Saudi Arabia of setting up military bases in Iraq's Kurdistan and Pakistan’s Balochistan Province to destabilize Iran.
However, Alavi praised Iran’s Intelligence Ministry for annually foiling 97 to 98 out of 100 terrorist moves.
“There is no intelligence force in the world that claims to foil 100 percent of terrorist actions,” Alavi boasted.