According to sources within Iran, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has issued a new directive to further protect the regime. There are several sections to the directive, one is to confront the opposition inside and outside of Iran and another includes engaging the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in order to buy more time for the development of the nuclear bomb but also orders to the Guards to double their efforts to finish getting the bomb.
Through an analysis by its intelligence ministry and the Quds forces, the Iranian leadership has concluded that an attack by Israel, and subsequent involvement of America, is a likely possibility. Given the current erratic economic climate, some Iranians are beginning to panic and stocking up goods and exchanging their assets into gold and the U.S. dollar. With all these pressures, the prospect of another uprising is greater than ever before. The upcoming parliamentary elections in March might provide just the venue for Iranians to come out once again, in mass, demanding the overthrow of the regime.
In order to avoid such uncertainty and possibilities, several decisions have been made by the Iranian leadership, among them a coordination of its agents and affiliates in Europe, and specifically in America. Their task is to organize public demonstrations against a possible war with Iran and calling for the removal of current sanctions. The organizers objective is to get the American people involved in such demonstrations by using the Anti-War and Occupy Wall Street movements to promote larger demonstrations across America thus making it harder for President Obama to go to war with Iran. The main focus will be to press the idea that the best approach is to first remove all the sanctions and then follow with negotiations. The demonstrations are to take place starting this week.
The Iranian officials have been ordered to show signs of a willingness to negotiate with the West over its nuclear program to stall any attempt to increase pressure on Iran. The intent is to neutralize the effort by the Israeli government for a military confrontation.
At the same time, the Guards have been ordered to work around the clock to arm their missiles with nuclear warheads, because the leadership believes that, once the regime joins the nuclear-armed club, the West will back off. Iran currently has enough highly enriched uranium for four nuclear bombs and continues to highly enrich uranium unabated at the Fordow facility.
The leadership also warned Turkey about its interference in Syria and has doubled its efforts to protect the Assad regime.
The Revolutionary Guards and all security forces are currently under Code Red and ready to respond to any discontent in Iran. Their presence will soon be visible in the streets of Tehran and other major cities. The Guards are also worried about possible sabotage of oil refineries and oil transportation within Iran, which would make the current dire situation much worst, another reason to have forces present close to such facilities.
However, the biggest worry for the regime is the alliance and activities of the opposition outside of Iran. The order is to disrupt these activities at all cost even if it means the assassination of certain active figures. Iran’s agents are to increase their efforts to deceive the American public by calling anyone opposing the regime a warmonger, and to claim that if there’s a war, the whole region will go up in flames with dire consequences for the U.S. Their latest policy is to be: the best solution to the problem is in negotiation.
Of course, this has been their approach for thirty years while they continue to ignore the agreed-to negotiations of the past. They continue to develop the nuclear bomb with utmost determination in spite of the imposed sanctions.
Reza Kahlili is a pseudonym for a former CIA operative in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and the author of the award winning book, A Time to Betray. He is a senior Fellow with EMPact America and teaches at the U.S. Department of Defense’s Joint Counterintelligence Training Academy (JCITA).