The Islamic Republic has increased its intelligence ministry's budget by tenfold under late President Ebrahim Raisi amid a severe economic crisis plaguing the nation.
The Ministry of Intelligence is accused of being involved in the systematic forced disappearance of dissidents and obtaining forced confessions from political prisoners. However, the Islamic Republic's intelligence minister claims the ministry has used its increased budget for confronting the country's archrival Israel.
"With a tenfold infrastructural budget, pursued by Raisi and the parliament through the budget law, we were able to expand our security infrastructure and effectively counter Israel," said Esmail Khatib, the Minister of Intelligence, in a report on the government's three-year performance.
Khatib's admission of a tenfold budget increase for Ministry of Intelligence under the Raisi administration has raised alarm bells. While ordinary Iranians struggle with economic hardships, their government is channeling unprecedented resources into its intelligence apparatus, prioritizing cyber warfare and international espionage over the welfare of its citizens.
The Financial Times reported in 2022 on the Iranian government's deep-seated fear of Israeli operations within Iran, suggesting that Israel has established a widespread network capable of operating freely within the country.
In recent years, the Islamic Republic has accused Israel of eliminating its key nuclear officials and stealing confidential nuclear documents. One high-profile incident involved Mossad agents stealing a massive cache of nuclear documents from a warehouse near Tehran in January 2018, as mentioned by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The increase in funding also coincides with a notable uptick in cyber-attacks carried out by hacker groups affiliated with the Ministry of Intelligence. A recent report by cybersecurity firm Check Point highlighted that the hacker group MuddyWater has launched a series of global attacks using newly developed malware.
Since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, which claimed the lives of almost 1,200 people mostly civilians, such cyber-attacks have intensified, targeting countries like Israel, Turkey, Algeria, Italy, and Egypt. Such aggressive cyber activity seems to be a direct result of the substantial budget increase, allowing Iran to bolster its security infrastructure at the expense of its people.
In his Sunday report, Iran's Intelligence Minister also claimed that after the Syria conflict, members of armed groups like ISIS entered Iran but were all arrested by Iranian security forces. However, his assertion rings hollow considering the deadly attacks that have occurred during Raisi's presidency, including the January 3 explosions at Qassem Soleimani's burial site in Kerman, which resulted in nearly 100 deaths and over 300 injuries. ISIS claimed responsibility, yet suspicions about the Islamic Republic's involvement linger, further undermining the perceived strength of Iran's military and security forces.