Hackett, Jonathan W. Iran's Shadow Weapons

Covert Action, Intelligence Operations and Unconventional Warfare

Surveillance, assassinations, and proxy warsall are components of an unending catastrophe that, for those exposed to the wrath of the Islamic Republic of Iran, never seems to end. Despite the frequency of these and other malicious acts, few observers understand why and how the regime chooses precisely these instruments of fear and destabilization. Fewer still are capable of thwarting them. In this first-of-its-kind work, the author draws upon two decades of experience to expose the calculus, structure, and execution of Irans foreign intelligence activities, covert operations, and unconventional warfare. The book reveals how the regimes machinationsconducted in the shadowsare driven by an explosive blend of rampant paranoia, unshakeable greed, and cold rationality. Meticulously, the author lays bare a political toolkit deployed entirely in the service of self-interest and self-preservationundergirded by strategies aimed at eliminating opposition figures, suppressing dissent, and establishing a "defense in depth" surrounding Iran. Above all else, it is the Iranian people themselves who, for the regime, represent both the greatest source of insecurity and the primary target of a comprehensive array of political measures that have been in force since 1979.