In recent months, the issue of “infiltration inside the IRGC” has become one of the most controversial subjects in Iran’s political and social landscape. Numerous reports of commanders being targeted and sensitive information being exposed have raised serious questions about the effectiveness of the regime’s security structures. At the same time, official narratives seek to attribute these incidents to foreign actors, but public opinion is following a different narrative.
IRGC commanders or commanders of infiltration inside the IRGC
In recent weeks, state-run media have repeatedly reported the arrest of infiltrators. These reports have often been published without providing precise details. In contrast, citizens on social media emphasize that infiltration inside the IRGC cannot merely be the result of foreign operations. Many believe that this level of access to sensitive information would not be possible without internal cooperation or internal weakness.
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According to published data, some of this information included the travel routes or residences of important political and military figures. Such information is usually kept within highly restricted security layers. This has further strengthened the theory of infiltration from within the IRGC itself. Some media outlets have also pointed to deep fractures within the intelligence structure. For example, the state-run Tabnak website wrote in an article dated June 28, 2025: “New details of the assassination of IRGC commanders: Mossad contacted 100 commanders … how is it possible that Mossad has penetrated into the deepest levels of our country’s most important and most protected institutions?”
According to Euronews on August 21, 2025, Mohammad Sarafraz, the former head of Iran’s regime state broadcaster IRIB, described the 12-day Iran-Israel war as primarily an intelligence war and said Mossad was directing it. He stated that in the very first hours, the biggest blows came from inside the country, not from aircraft taking off from Israel and striking targets there. He said forces had been trained inside the country, were commando units, and were already present, and they used drones and missiles already inside the country to assassinate IRGC leaders and destroy all of the country’s radar systems.
Expansion of arrests under the pretext of foreign agents as a cover for infiltration
On the other hand, reports have emerged about the increasing detention of citizens accused of cooperating with the enemy. Security bodies are trying to present these arrests as a response to infiltration. However, these actions appear largely theatrical. Many believe that focusing on ordinary individuals is an attempt to conceal the real source of infiltration inside the IRGC.
It is natural that in an organization suffering from widespread corruption, numerous fractures exist. Such conditions can provide fertile ground for the expansion of infiltration inside the IRGC. There have also been reports of financial and ethical corruption, as well as internal factional rivalries, all of which further intensify this situation.
Public opinion has also reacted sharply to these developments. In online spaces, users using harsh language describe the IRGC as the principal cause of this crisis. They believe that infiltration inside the IRGC is the direct result of a structure built on political loyalty rather than professional competence. This perception has deepened the divide between society and the ruling institutions.
Alongside these issues, some reports also point to the role of the Ministry of Intelligence. It is said that the lack of coordination between this body and the IRGC has created security gaps. According to observers, these gaps have paved the way for infiltration inside the IRGC.
Infiltration inside the IRGC: the official narrative and the people’s narrative
The official narrative continues to emphasize the role of foreign actors. State-run media attempt to show control of the situation by publishing news of arrests. But the people’s narrative is different. Many believe that the roots of infiltration inside the IRGC lie within the institution itself. This conflict of narratives has led to growing public distrust.
