The Case of Mehdi Choupani, the Mujahid: Cutting the Hidden Hand of Power in Cleansing and Reconstruction Operations
The hidden hand of power is being severed in the cleansing and reconstruction operations of the IRGC Intelligence Organization. Mehdi Choupani, known as the Mujahid, the former director of Hossein Taeb’s office, the former head of the IRGC Intelligence Organization, has reached the end of his mission at the Presidential Institution as the head of special follow-ups for the President, under the order of the IRGC Intelligence Protection Organization.
Before joining the President’s office, he collaborated with Ebrahim Raisi as the deputy of special follow-ups in the office of the head of the Judiciary. This time, however, only the legal title of his institution changed; his place of service shifted from the Judiciary to the Executive Branch.
But what exactly does special follow-ups as an unclear and broad mission mean?
This title, created by Hossein Taeb, Choupani’s former boss who was trusted and beloved by Taeb, was initially designed to advance Taeb’s goals in the Judiciary to expand the power and influence of the IRGC Intelligence Organization and elevate this security institution’s hegemony. During this period, they acted more recklessly and boldly in selective and political confrontations than ever before.
The project to eliminate Ali Larijani from the competition for the presidential election was also among Taeb’s plans to ensure the establishment of a compliant and obedient government.
Then, after Ebrahim Raisi’s victory in the presidential election, it was defined as a special task in the government for infiltration and dominance in the Executive Branch. But what was this special task? According to the defined plan, a special follow-up officer was supposed to be stationed in the office of every minister under the supervision and selection of Mehdi Choupani to approve or reject all appointments and dismissals in the ministries. This meant that the administration and control of the government from the level of deputy ministers downwards would be out of the President’s hands.
However, after the dismissal of Hossein Taeb, this project was halted, and now, with the news of the IRGC Intelligence Protection Organization’s order for Mehdi Choupani to return to his original mission place, a major step has essentially been taken towards the cleansing and reconstruction of the IRGC Intelligence Organization.
Networking through the Imam Sadegh Circle
Mehdi Choupani, who is the godfather and supporter of the Student Justice-Seeking Movement, was formerly the head of the Basij Students at Imam Sadegh University and is considered a contemporary of Meysam Motiee, Hojjat Abdolmaleki, and Seyed Ehsan Khandozi. Seeing a group of his old and aligned friends in key ministry positions in the government, he acted with more confidence and assurance.
He, who with his invisible hand covered by the Justice-Seeking Movement, grabbed many by the collar, is now in a new position. The dismissal of Hossein Taeb now clearly shows its effect in reducing influence or even removal from the security power game regarding Choupani, and naturally, one of Choupani’s effective arms, the Justice-Seeking Movement, is also removed from the security halo, and they can no longer boldly advance their employer’s orders.
However, it seems that this is just the beginning of the story, and the declining power of Choupani is likely to be completed with his arrest alongside other recent detainees in the IRGC Intelligence Organization, completing the cleansing and reconstruction operation of this important security entity.
The Future of IRGC Intelligence
It seems that the process of changes in the IRGC Intelligence Organization has started with two objectives, which can be called the cleansing and reconstruction operation. In the first part, certainly, by removing undesirable elements who, with absolute subservience, were more obedient to the orders and desires of the organization’s head than serving the organization, in many cases, followed missions with objectives and political tastes of a specific circle, which had caused a significant portion of missions and objectives to be neglected overall.
Now it seems that the mission and objectives of the organization, rather than being individual and faction-oriented, have been prioritized. The instructions and missions that, in the first instance, identify and cleanse infiltration streams and security bugs and then, by analyzing and reviewing operational and informational failures during Taeb’s presidency, will seek to restore and enhance efficiency.
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