Iran’s current intelligence structure is not equipped to deal with the scale and nature of threats posed by Israel and needs fundamental reorganization, a former senior commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said.
Hossein Alaei, a former commander of the IRGC navy, said Iran’s intelligence agencies failed to anticipate Israeli operations, including plans to target Iranian commanders and scientists, and argued that the system lacks the focus needed to counter Israel’s security and intelligence apparatus.
“If our intelligence services had been properly focused on Israel’s activities, they should have known about plans to assassinate Iranian commanders and scientists, including through the use of aircraft,” Alaei said, according to remarks carried by Iranian media.
Referring to the 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel, Alaei said the fighting exposed structural weaknesses in Iran’s intelligence setup and showed that it had not been organized in proportion to Israel’s intelligence and security efforts against Iran.
“The experience of the 12-day war showed that we have not structured our intelligence organization in line with the level of Israeli intelligence and security activity directed at Iran,” he said.
Alaei’s comments add to rare public acknowledgments by figures linked to Iran’s security establishment that Israel retains significant intelligence and military advantages.
Clearer division of roles in Iran’s intelligence system
Alaei called for a reorganization that would sharply divide responsibilities between Iran’s two main intelligence bodies – the Intelligence Ministry and the IRGC’s intelligence organization – saying their current overlap has reduced effectiveness.
“At present, both the Intelligence Ministry and the IRGC’s intelligence arm are simultaneously engaged in domestic security issues and in monitoring Israel, and this structure has clearly not produced the required results,” he said.
He proposed that one of the two agencies focus exclusively on Israel, while the other take primary responsibility for internal security.
Alaei also criticized what he described as a lack of basic preventive measures, saying that in some cases individuals known to be Israeli targets were living together in the same residential building, enabling Israel to kill multiple targets in a single strike.
His remarks come amid a broader debate inside Iran over the country’s military and security performance during the 12-day conflict.
President Masoud Pezeshkian said earlier this week that Israel had enjoyed missile superiority during the fighting, comments that drew criticism from some lawmakers who accused him of undermining Iran’s defensive capabilities.
NBC News reported this week that Israel is preparing to present US President Donald Trump with options for renewed military action against Iran’s nuclear program, while the Al-Monitor website cited European diplomats as saying Israel could strike Iran again in 2026 even without US approval.
