Rattlesnake Ridge 
BFF
“Government officials were among those netted in an Iranian counterespionage operation that Tehran’s intelligence ministry touted this weekend, a news website reported Sunday. The semi-official Fars news agency (link in Persian) reported “a number of Iranian government managers” were among the 30 arrested on suspicion of having ties with the CIA. Fars quoted “an informed source” as saying a manager of one of Iran’s ministries and a number of other officials employed by government bodies were arrested. One official had worked at one of Iran’s ministries for 25 years and was allegedly gathering information for U.S. intelligence with the aim of immigrating to the West and keeping his son out of military service, the source told Fars. The man allegedly had prepared “a very important package about the activities of this body, which included information on ways to sabotage it.” But he was foiled by intelligence officers “minutes” before he sent it off, the source claimed to Fars. Another official gathered information about “how to blow up and conduct espionage activities” at his employer but was arrested before dispatching the information, Fars said……..”
This is becoming more interesting, if the published report is true (Fars quotes an ‘informed source’ which may indicate a certain degree of accuracy). Now they talk of plans for sabotage and explosions. This now seems to indicate that some higher officials, at least middle-tier managers, were involved. That is the official story. It requires careful reading to try and discern wtf is going on inside Iran’s intelligence community. Is Muslehi (intelligence minister and a mullah) anxious to show his credibility by hurrying arrests? Is he flailing around for culprits? Was there such an extensive network of sabotage? All of the above are possible: Iran has seen some bombings and assassinations of nuclear scientists over the past few years. They also had top scientists and military officers defect and/or kidnapped while outside the country. In this dame, anything is possible
Cheers
mhg
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