British military network in Iran | |
War: | Middle East theatre of World War II and Cold War |
Active: | 1941–Unknown |
Allegiance: | United Kingdom |
Allies: | MI6 SIME SOE |
Opponents: | Second Bureau Abwehr Tudeh Military Network |
Battles: | 1953 Iranian coup d'état |
The British military network in Iran, an intelligence gathering network that infiltrated the Iranian Armed Forces, dates back to the World War II years and is distinguishable from the long-standing local civilian network run by the British in Iran.
In early January 1942, the British Defence Security Organization in Tehran (DSO) was established. The main objective of the British network at the time, was to thwart the efforts of German Abwehr network in Iran.[1]
MI6 compiled an "impressive military Who's Who" –detailed personal profiles about Iranian military personnel that included trivial information– with the help of this network, that proved useful in plotting the 1953 Iranian coup d'état. A major function of the network was promotion of its own members while keeping others, especially leftists out of important positions.
The following military personnel are known to act as assets for the network, as of early 1950s:
The following military personnel were closely associated with the British, as of 1960s: