Iran's IRGC bans communications equipment after series of walkie-talkie explosions in Lebanon

Reuters quoted two senior Iranian security officials as saying that in addition to banning communications equipment, the IRGC had also launched a large-scale operation to check all other tools. One of the officials said most of the equipment was homemade or imported.

Medical workers treat an injured person after a pager explosion in Beirut, Lebanon on September 17, 2024

According to the official, Tehran is now concerned about the infiltration of Israeli spies, including Iranians planted and paid by Israel. Therefore, Iran is launching a comprehensive personnel investigation, focusing on mid- and high-ranking members of the IRGC.

"This includes a thorough review of the officials' bank accounts both in Iran and abroad, as well as their and their families' travel histories," an Iranian security official was quoted as saying by Reuters.

Security officials declined to provide details about how IRGC forces communicate with each other. One official would only say that the IRGC currently uses end-to-end encryption in its messaging systems to ensure security, adding that Iran’s armed forces have not used pagers for more than two decades.

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The official also said Tehran had developed military- grade radio systems through its defense industry to avoid dependence on foreign imports. Iran has previously imported communications equipment from China, Russia and Japan.

Iran's main concern today is to protect its nuclear and missile facilities, especially underground ones. However, security measures at those sites have been significantly stepped up since last year. "There has never been such tight and extreme security measures as there are now," an Iranian official told Reuters.

In addition, IRGC officials have also contacted Hezbollah in Lebanon for technical assessment. Some components of the explosive device have been sent to Iran for study by Iranian experts.

The Iranian government has not yet responded to the above information.

A series of explosions of walkie-talkie and pager devices in Lebanon on September 17-18 killed at least 37 people and injured more than 3,000 others. Speaking at the United Nations Security Council on September 20, Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib warned that no one in the world would be safe after the explosions of pagers and walkie-talkies in the country, calling the series of explosions of communication devices a "terrorist attack".

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/irgc-iran-cam-thiet-bi-lien-lac-sau-loat-vu-no-bo-dam-o-li-bang-185240923153315839.htm