The Islamic Republic of Iran has been violently suppressing the peaceful demonstration and protests of the Iranian people by mobilizing its terrorist designated Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the Basij militia and anti-riot police forces for the past four decades. When witnessing the brutality of the regime’s forces who use batons, tasers, pellets and live bullets against unarmed civilians, one can’t help but wonder about the driving forces behind the unconstrained violence and hatred of the IRGC and Basij forces against their own countrymen, and whether devotion to the Islamic Revolution and loyalty to the Supreme Leader is all there is to it.
Among the many reasons behind the brutality of these forces, and their transformation from ordinary citizens into ruthless soldiers who blindly murder civilians, are “honey traps” set up by the Intelligence Organization of the IRGC to blackmail IRGC and Basij personnel using sex and their sexuality against them. The IRGC Intelligence sets up “honey traps” for government and armed forces personnel where they lure the victim into an affair or same-sex relationship to collect pictures and videos for use in blackmail.
This tactic is commonly used by IRGC Intelligence against politicians, activists, and armed forces commanders and personnel for blackmailing and transforming individuals into slaves who obey orders without questions since adultery, fornication and homosexuality are illegal and punishable by death in Iran. In the case of the armed forces personnel and commanders, it becomes a strong driving force to follow orders of killing without a second thought since their and their family’s lives and dignity are on the line. These obedient servants are extremely valuable to the state which results in their quick promotion despite a lack of competency or merit for higher positions.
The commander of IRGC’s “Ashoura” regional headquarters in the Northwest of Iran, Jalil Babazadeh, who recently got promoted to his current position is a great example of an IRGC commander ensnared by these honey traps who will not hesitate to brutally suppress civilians and other disobedient IRGC commanders and personnel to avoid being exposed.
Farhang Mostaed, a close and old friend of Babazadeh is one among the many with whom Babazadeh has a sexual relationship. Babazadeh has made sure to appoint Mostaed as his deputy or successor whenever he got promoted during the past 34 years. During the 8-year war with Iraq, the two of them worked together in Ardabil’s IRGC headquarters where they had a sexual relationship. They shared the same bedroom and bathroom and even rode the same motorcycle together, all of which had attracted a lot of attention, until a few years after the war when Babazadeh was promoted and naturally relocated Mostaed with him to his new post. For the past 13 years, Babazadeh was the commander of Ardabil’s IRGC headquarters where he appointed Mostaed as the commander of its Hazrat Abbas 37th brigades. This year and after Babazadeh’s promotion to his new position as the commander of IRGC’s Ashoura regional headquarter he also appointed Mostaed as his deputy commander.
A number of conscripts who were drafted to serve within the IRGC and were selected as drivers for Babazadeh have also been victims of rape and sexual abuse, the names of whom we will not share as they were not members of the IRGC by choice. Babazadeh being surrounded by good-looking conscripts is a fact many IRGC personnel and commanders are aware of, as well as the fact that he had a sexual relationship with the head of his office, Mr. Abazar Shams during his years in the Hazrat Abbas 37th brigades.
IRGC’s “Ashoura” regional headquarter with Jalil Babazadeh serving as its commander along with 10 other headquarters including the Sarallah HQ in Tehran constitute the IRGC’s nationwide network of operational command. Every one of these 10 headquarters includes some provincial IRGC corps including IRGC and Basij militia divisions, brigades, and security battalions. Their objective is to protect the regime in case the central command in Tehran is seriously damaged in a strike.
Although these 11 headquarters are officially tasked with commanding and furthering asymmetrical warfare, their undeclared mission is suppressing dissent and protests and this is what they did heavy-handedly during the 2019 November protests all over Iran, including a major massacre in Mahshahr. Confronting dissent is now their main function.
Source » iranbriefing