The ‘modus operandi’ of the [Iranian Red Crescent] already used in service of the Quds Forces has been revealed in several strategic junctions. In an interview with the Iranian media in April 2019, a former IRGC senior commander official, Saeed Qassemi, revealed that in the framework of Iran’s assistance to Bosnian Muslims, the IRGC troops present in Bosnia used the Iranian Red Crescent in order to provide military training to Jihad Sunni militants in Bosnia during the Bosnian war (1992-1995).Alongside this, WikiLeaks documents revealed that the Iranian Red Crescent serves as a cover for Quds Forces and the Iranian Intelligence Office (MOIS), making extensive use to advance Iranian subversion in various countries including Lebanon, Bahrain, Yemen and Iraq. As revealed, all the teams that the Iranian Red Crescent dispatched to Lebanon during the Second Lebanon War, allegedly to assist the civilian population, were in fact Quds Forces who arrived in Lebanon to assist Hezbollah. The crews brought military equipment and weapon supplies masked as shipments of medical equipment.
Others have noted the cozy relationship between the Iranian Red Crescent and the Revolutionary Guards.
Here's what that Wikileaks memo says about how Iran used the Iranian Red Crescent (IRC) as a cover for military in Lebanon:
The IRC again facilitated the entry of Qods force officers to Lebanon during the Israel-Hezbollah war in summer 2006. Although Dr. Towfighi did not travel to Lebanon during the conflict, he reiterated that the only true IRC officers dispatched to Lebanon were the doctors and drivers; all others were IRGC and MOIS officials. Dr. Towfighi further said that the IRC shipments of medical supplies served also to facilitate weapons shipments. He said that IRC drivers had seen missiles in the planes destined for Lebanon when delivering medical supplies to the plane. The plane was allegedly "half full" prior to the arrival of any medical supplies.Dr. Khatami also allowed the transfer of an IRC hospital in southern Lebanon to Hezbollah. Dr. Towfighi said that Hassan Nasrallah had asked Supreme Leader Khamenei to allow Hezbollah to run the hospital during Dr. Noorbala's tenure as IRC president. Although Khamenei acquiesced, Dr. Noorbala prevented the transfer until his own departure. The hospital still has an IRGC officer - a Dr. Adib - as its chief, but is under Hezbollah control. Dr. Adib is allegedly close to Nasrallah and is also trying to create a network of medical clinics in Lebanon.
Now look at some recent headlines.
The Tehran Times reported Sunday that the Iranian Red Crescent Society set up a field hospital on the Lebanon-Syria border - a very convenient way to smuggle arms to Lebanon. Imagine the outcry if Israel would bomb that field hospital - yet it would be completely justified if it has intelligence that it is being used to smuggle weapons to Hezbollah.
Over the weekend, the IRCS said it had sent or was about to send 60 tons of supplies to Lebanon.
Given its history, Iran is not sending over supplies because it loves Lebanon or even its Shiite population. Israel has been doing everything it can to stop Iran from smuggling weapons to Hezbollah, and it sure seems likely that some of these tons of medical supplies are anything but medical.
(h/t Irene)
