Minister of Intelligence: We Struck a Terrorist Team

Mahmoud Alavi, the Minister of Intelligence, announced on Monday, July 5, the dismantling of "a terrorist team" on Sunday, July 4. According to the state-run IRIB news agency, speaking on the sidelines of the Eid al-Fitr prayer ceremony in Tehran, he added: "With timely action, we struck a terrorist team that had a very large stockpile of weapons and ammunition." The Minister did not mention the number of this team or their location, only stating that the information would be announced in due time. Mahmoud Alavi also stated that "the possibility of terrorist actions for organizations and terrorist groups has been minimized to a very high degree," adding: "Most terrorist groups and teams have been struck." Previously, the Ministry of Intelligence announced on Saturday, July 3, the arrest of a "terrorist group" affiliated with the Islamic State (ISIS). The statement said that this group "intended to carry out terrorist actions in deep provinces and religious cities of the country," but was identified by the Ministry of Intelligence, and its members were arrested on Friday. Security and judicial officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran have reported the arrest of dozens of individuals in various regions of Iran following the attacks on June 17 against the Parliament and the mausoleum of Ayatollah Khomeini in Tehran. In this context, according to the state-run IRNA news agency, the prosecutor of Kermanshah reported on Sunday, July 4, the arrest of more than 50 individuals connected to and supporting terrorist groups in this province following the June 17 attacks in Tehran. Nemat Sadeghi stated that significant amounts of explosive belts, electronic detonators, and weapons were discovered and seized from those arrested. This judicial official announced that serious action has been taken against the "backers, elements, teams, and supporters of terrorist groups," adding: "Complete intelligence oversight is established in the province and its borders, and claims of shooting and clashes at the borders are false." Earlier, the Ministry of Intelligence reported on June 19 that 41 members of ISIS were arrested in various provinces. According to the Ministry of Intelligence, these arrests occurred in Tehran, Kermanshah, Kurdistan, and West Azerbaijan. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) also reported the dismantling of terrorist groups in the provinces of Sistan and Baluchestan and Kurdistan, stating that a group in Sistan and Baluchestan was receiving support from the Saudi intelligence agency. Alongside these arrests, the IRGC conducted missile strikes on June 28 against positions of the Islamic State in Deir ez-Zor, Syria. This military force announced that it targeted the positions of the Islamic State.