Iran's IRGC Investigates All Personnel And Bans Communication Devices After Attack On Hezbollah

JAKARTA - Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) elite forces ordered all members to stop using all types of communication devices, after thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies used by the Lebanese militant group exploded in a deadly attack last week, two senior Iranian security officials said.

One security official said large-scale operations were being carried out by the IRGC to inspect all devices, not just communication equipment. He said most of the devices were homemade or imported from China and Russia.

Iran is concerned about infiltration by Israeli agents, including Iranians working for Israel. A thorough investigation into personnel has begun, targeting mid and high-level IRGC members, the official, who declined to be named due to sensitivity to the matter.

"This includes checking their bank accounts both in Iran and abroad, as well as their travel history and their families," the security official told Reuters.

Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Defense and Home Affairs did not immediately respond to comments made by the security official to Reuters.

Last week, a pager exploded in a coordinated attack across the Hezbollah stronghold area in Lebanon on Tuesday. A day later, hundreds of Hezbollah walkie-talkies exploded. The attack killed 39 people and injured more than 3,000 people.

Lebanon and Hezbollah said Israel was behind the attack. Israel does not deny or confirm involvement.

The security official declined to provide details on how the IRGC troops, consisting of 190,000 personnel, communicated.

"For now, we are using end-to-end encryption in the messaging system," he said.

According to the same official, there are widespread concerns among Iranian rulers. IRGC officials have contacted Hezbollah for technical assessments, and several examples of exploding devices have been sent to Tehran for examination by Iranian experts.

The Iranian military uses a variety of encrypted communication devices, including walkie-talkies, for secure communications, Iranian sources said. Although specific models and brands may vary, Iranian military communications equipment is often developed domestically or sourced from a combination of local and foreign suppliers, he said.

He said Iranian armed forces had stopped using pagers for more than two decades.

Meanwhile, other Iranian officials said Tehran's main concern was the protection of the country's nuclear and missile facilities, particularly those underground.

"However, since last year, security measures at these locations have increased significantly," he said, referring to the steppes being stepped up after what Iranian authorities said was Israel's attempt to sabotage Iran's missile program by 2023.

Israel never commented on this.

"There has never been strict security and extreme measures as they are today," he added, suggesting security had been significantly increased beyond previous levels after the explosion of the pager in Lebanon.

It is known that the IRGC is an influential political, military and economic force in Iran and has close ties to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Formed after the 1979 Revolution to protect the ulama government system, the IRGC has its own ground, sea and air forces that oversee Iran's strategic weapons.

Tehran is known to have developed its own military-class radio transmission through its defense industry to avoid dependence on foreign imports.

However, in the past, Iran has imported communication devices from countries such as China and Russia, including Japan.