IRGC-AFFILIATED PROFESSOR SUMMONED AFTER CLAIMING IRAN BOUGHT EXPLODING PAGERS

Sun 13 October 2024:

A university professor close to the Iranian establishment has been summoned by the judiciary after alleging on state television that an Iranian intermediary bought the Hezbollah pagers that exploded last month.

During a live Iranian state TV broadcast, Masoud Asadollahi, a former deputy commander of the IRGC Quds Force and a professor at the IRGC-affiliated Imam Hussein University, made remarks claiming that an Iranian company purchased pagers from a Taiwanese supplier on behalf of Hezbollah, which has since sparked controversy and denials.

“They (Hezbollah) already had thousands of pagers…but three to four thousand new pagers were needed. They asked an Iranian company to place the order. Hezbollah said they could not make the purchase as it would raise suspicions. The company negotiated with a famous Taiwanese brand that used to produce pagers and placed an order for 5,000 pagers. The pagers were delivered to the Iranian company. They were then given to Hezbollah,” said Asadollahi.

Watch: An Iranian company purchased the Hezbollah pagers which exploded nearly simultaneously across Lebanon last month, said Masoud Asadollahi, a former deputy commander of IRGC Quds Force, on Iran’s state TV. An hour later, the same TV channel denied his remarks. pic.twitter.com/IQNoZT4Yan

— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) October 11, 2024

He did not cite a source or elaborate on the origin of the other 2,000 devices used in the attacks.

Asadollahi could potentially face charges relating to publishing misinformation to negatively affect public opinion, or even national security offences, according to the official news outlet of the Iranian judiciary. It said he has since admitted he was mistaken.

This comes a day after the Civil Aviation Organization of Iran banned pagers and walkie-talkies on all commercial flights, according to local media.

The devices later exploded in September, killing at least 42 Hezbollah-affiliated people and injuring over 3,000 in what has been described as Hezbollah’s most significant security breach since its conflict with Israel escalated in October 2023.

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Many questions were raised about how Israel had been able to rig the devices, while some Israeli reports said that the pager deal had been handled by a Mossad front company.

Asadollahi’s comments quickly went viral, fueling speculation across media outlets. However, just an hour after his remarks, the same state TV channel issued a denial.

Noor News, a website outlet closely affiliated with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, also posted a tweet on Saturday refuting Asadollahi’s claims.

“The incorrect statements made by an expert on IRIB have ignited new speculations surrounding the incident. Iranian companies had no role in the purchase, transport, or distribution of the pagers,” the tweet stated.

Tasnim News Agency, another IRGC-affiliated Tehran website, published a report attempting to clarify the situation. It cited Hezbollah’s technical committee, which investigated the explosions and concluded that Israeli intelligence had infiltrated the supply chain through a shell company posing as the Taiwanese supplier. According to the report, no Iranian individuals or companies were found to be involved.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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