The Iranian president held a meeting with some of the Ministry of Intelligence's top officials on Tuesday, warning them that without the support of the people, the country cannot confront foreign enemies.
"If we have the people with us, no power can ground us, and we will not encounter problems. We must have the people on our side and consider the people's problems as our own and have solutions for them," Masoud Pezeshkian said during the meeting held on the occasion of the fortieth anniversary of the establishment of the ministry.
Iran's intelligence apparatus is comprised of several parallel agencies overseen by different state bodies.
The Ministry of Intelligence, established shortly after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, was the first. It was later joined by intelligence organizations within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the police. Most recently, in 2023, the Judiciary established its own intelligence department, creating a fourth parallel structure.
President Pezeshkian emphasized the need to foster hope in society, saying, "We must do something so that people become hopeful about the government and about the future of the country,” according to a readout of the meeting from his office.
Urging closer scrutiny of officials' performance, Pezeshkian added, "We must assess whether those entrusted with responsibility have performed effectively. We must address why problems remain despite our capabilities and entrust the country to capable and expert managers."
Amid widespread public discontent over power outages and energy shortages disrupting businesses and daily life in Iran, the Judiciary has instructed provincial prosecutors to coordinate with intelligence, security, and law enforcement agencies to prevent unrest as was seen in 2019 and 2022.
The UN fact-finding mission, established following the 2022 nationwide protests, has accused Iran's intelligence apparatus, including the Ministry of Intelligence, of human rights violations, including the extraction of forced confessions from political prisoners.
The Iranian security apparatus, which also has smaller intelligence entities, has a Council for Intelligence Coordination comprised of at least 13 to 16 separate active intelligence agencies, according to different sources.
Most of these parallel agencies have strong ties with the IRGC and the judiciary as well as the office of the Supreme Leader. The intelligence minister, the interior minister, foreign minister, and the country’s chief justice are members of the body. The IRGC’s Intelligence Organization, and its Intelligence Protection Organization, and their counterparts in the traditional Army and Police force as well as cyber police are some of the other members.
Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said that while Iran has actively engaged with opposition groups, it does not maintain direct ties with Syria’s ruling faction, responsible for the overthrow of the decades-long Assad dynasty.
“Our involvement has always been about preventing ISIS's advance and the spread of terrorism to regional countries,” Baghaei said during a press briefing in Tehran on Monday.
He added that Iran’s focus included advancing Syria’s political processes and preventing the country from becoming a haven for extremist groups.
“The issue of various terrorist groups operating in Syria has been a major concern since the beginning of developments in Syria 13 years ago,” he said.
Iran has long had a military presence in Syria, as has its armed allies such as Lebanese Hezbollah, designated as a terrorist group by nations such as the UK and US.
Responding to speculation about a message from Syria’s leadership via Turkey, Baghaei said that regional concerns, including Syria, are often addressed during multilateral discussions.
“Our stance is to preserve Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity while ensuring that the Syrian people determine their fate without foreign interference,” he added.
After the storming of the embassy
Baghaei described a coordinated effort involving Iran’s embassies in Damascus and Beirut to evacuate nationals.
“At present, no non-resident Iranian nationals remain in Syria,” he said, adding that Iranians, including military advisors and diplomatic staff, were successfully evacuated during the recent unrest which saw the Iranian embassy ransacked.
Prospects for nuclear negotiations
Turning to nuclear negotiations, Baghaei said Iran is committed to dialogue. “The Islamic Republic of Iran has never shut the door on negotiations. We have always participated in good faith, despite many concerns being unfounded,” he said.
Referencing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Baghaei said that Iran’s cooperation had yielded agreements in the past but criticized the lack of follow-through by other parties.
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal, was signed in 2015 between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries (the United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia, China, and Germany).
The agreement aimed to ensure the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program by imposing strict limits on its uranium enrichment activities and granting extensive access to international inspectors in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.
Despite its initial success in curbing Iran's nuclear advancements, the deal faced challenges, particularly after the United States unilaterally withdrew in 2018 under the Trump administration and re-imposed sanctions on Iran.
This withdrawal led to a gradual erosion of the agreement, with Iran scaling back its commitments in response and since, escalating its nuclear program beyond international limits.
Efforts to revive the JCPOA have been ongoing, reflecting its significance in promoting regional stability and preventing nuclear proliferation. However, negotiations remain complex, with both sides expressing concerns over compliance and mutual trust.
Baghaei denied reports of a message being sent from US President-elect Donald Trump.
Iran-Turkey relations and broader goals
Baghaei also highlighted the importance of maintaining strong ties with Turkey, describing it as a significant regional neighbor.
“We are committed to good-neighborly relations with Turkey, which benefit both nations,” he said. While acknowledging occasional differences, Baghaei expressed confidence in ongoing dialogue to resolve disputes.
Recent tensions between Iran and Turkey over Syria have highlighted the complexities of their regional relationship. While both nations have historically cooperated on various issues, their conflicting interests in Syria have created friction as each vies for power.
Iran, a staunch supporter of Syria's government under Bashar al-Assad, has expressed concerns over Turkey's help to the ruling group in Syria which ousted Assad after 13 years.
Turkey, on the other hand, justifies its actions as necessary to combat Kurdish militias, which it considers terrorists.
“The region’s security depends on collective adherence to international obligations and the rejection of foreign interference,” Baghaei added, Syria having played a critical role in Iran's regional foreign policy since the outbreak of Syria's civil war, with multiple bases spread out across Syria and forces in place.
