Pay delays hit Iran security units as morale declines

Signs of discontent, low morale, financial strain and desertion are spreading among parts of Iran’s security and military forces, Iran International has learned.

Members of the Special Units Command received a notice on Friday saying salary payments for some units had run into problems, according to people familiar with the matter. The delay marked the third time this year that wages for those forces are being paid late.

Following the delays, some personnel refused to attend pro-government gatherings, the sources said, causing disruptions in deployment in some major cities.

Retirees and some army personnel have also not been paid for a second straight month.

Some senior commanders accuse the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of using the financial crisis at Bank Sepah to weaken the police force and strengthen other institutions, especially bodies tied to the clerical establishment.