Ali-Reza Asgari (, born 1 November 1952) is an Iranian who served as a general in the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps,"Iran pursuing fate of former defense ministry official missing in Turkey ", Islamic Republic News Agency, March 6, 2007. Retrieved March 6, 2007. as deputy defense minister, and as a cabinet member of Iranian President Mohammad Khatami."", UPI, March 5, 2007. Retrieved March 5, 2007.
Asgari had been "pushed aside" from his ministerial role after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a former rival, came into power in 2005. Asgari disappeared in Turkey in early 2007, and news reports indicate that he either defected to, or was kidnappedFars News Agency :: Iran: West May Have Kidnapped Missing Official by, Western intelligence agencies. His disappearance has also led to reports that Iran would retaliate by kidnapping American or Israeli officials in Europe.Mahnaimi, Uzi. "Iran to hit back at US ‘kidnaps’", The Sunday Times, March 18, 2007. Retrieved March 18, 2007. According to The Sunday Times, Asgari was described as a "gold mine for western intelligence" by an Israeli defence source who claimed that they had been following him since the 1980s.
Early life Ali Reza Asgari was born in Ardestan, a town in Esfahan province, Iran on 1 November 1952.Dan, Oron. "'Moderate' on Hating US.. ", New York Post, 11 March 2007. Retrieved 11 March 2007.
Military and intelligence career In the 1980s Asgari was commander of the Revolutionary Guard in LebanonMahnaimi, Uzi. "", The Sunday Times, March 11, 2007. Retrieved March 11, 2007. and during the 1990s he was the top Iranian intelligence official in Lebanon, where he worked with the Shia militant group Hezbollah. One report said that during this time Asgari was involved in the alleged transfer of captured Israeli pilot Ron Arad to Iran."Report: Iranian general has info on Arad", The Jerusalem Post, March 5, 2007. Retrieved March 5, 2007. The Israeli website Debkafile claims that Asgari ran Iranian operations in Iraq, and is linked to the January 20, 2007 Karbala provincial headquarters raid."The Vanishing Iranian General: Did He Leave or Was He Taken?", Debkafile, March 2, 2007. Retrieved March 5, 2007.
Spying allegation According to The Sunday Times, Asgari was recruited as a spy in 2003 during a business trip; however, it is not known what Western intelligence agency recruited him. He decided to defect once it was suspected by the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence that he was a mole.
Arrest in Iran Asgari was reported to have been imprisoned in Iran for 18 months before disappearance.
Disappearance He disappeared on February 7, 2007 in Istanbul, Turkey after flying in from Damascus, Syria. One report said that he had been in Syria to discuss production of military equipment, and his trip to Turkey was to meet with a European arms dealer.Zadeh, Ali Nouri. "Missing Iranian Minister Reportedly Cooperating with Western Intelligence ", Asharq Alawsat, March 8, 2007. Retrieved March 8, 2007. A woman in Tehran who claimed she was Asgari's wife, said that Asgari flew to Istanbul on December 7 and disappeared on December 9."Wife of missing former Iranian official urges authorities to investigate", International Herald Tribune, March 12, 2007. Retrieved March 12, 2007. She also said that "He [Asgari] was doing business in olive oil in Syria.""Missing Iranian official was kidnapped – relatives ", SignOnSanDiego, March 12, 2007. Retrieved March 12, 2007.
Reports say that two other people had reserved a room for Asgari at the Ceylan Hotel in Istanbul for three nights, but that after arriving Asgari reserved a room at the cheaper Hotel Ghilan. It is not clear if he ever checked into the hotel.
Some Arab diplomats told the media that Asgari was kidnapped by the U.S. CIA and/or Israeli Mossad. On March 6, a top Iranian police chief confirmed that kidnapping was a possibility."Iran accuses West of kidnapping former senior official", People's Daily Online, March 6, 2007. Retrieved March 6, 2007.
Reports say that Iran sent several defense officials to Turkey to discuss the matter during the last week of February, and also asked Interpol to investigate the case. Because of claims that Israel was behind the disappearance, security was boosted for Israeli embassies and senior officials abroad.Yehoshua, Yossi. "Israel boosts security around embassies abroad", Ynetnews, March 6, 2007. Retrieved March 6, 2007. On March 6 the Turkish Foreign Minister said that Turkey was conducting "an extremely broad investigation.""Ankara ‘delicately investigating’ Asghari’s disappearance ", Today's Zaman, March 9, 2007. Retrieved March 9, 2007.
According to the Iranian state-run newspaper Iran, Asgari was captured by a joint team of Mossad and CIA and then tortured by them. In an interview with Fars News, Asgari's daughter said that "I'm sure that United States and Israel have kidnapped him".
Defection versus kidnapping There has been vivid debate in the media about the question of whether Asgari defected to the west or was kidnapped. The Israeli paper Haaretz first reported that Asgari may have defected.Stern, Yoav. "Iran intelligence official said missing, may have defected", Haaretz, March 5, 2007. Retrieved March 5, 2007. This was echoed by a report in Asharq Alawsat, which stated that Asgari defected to the United States. That same paper reported on March 7 that Asgari was being questioned in northern Europe (later reported as a NATO base in Germany and specifically Rhein-Main Air Base) before eventually being moved to the US."Report: Missing Iran general in Europe", The Jerusalem Post, March 7, 2007. Retrieved March 7, 2007. However, a US intelligence official told the New York Post "We don't have him."
Asgari may have been able to leave Turkey under a different passport.Zadeh, Ali Nouri. "Missing Iranian Minister is Cooperating with Western Intelligence – Source ", Asharq Alawsat, March 9, 2007. Retrieved March 10, 2007.
On March 8 The Washington Post said that Asgari was willingly cooperating with Western intelligence officials, and was providing information on Hezbollah and its Iranian connections.Linzer, Dafna. "Former Iranian Defense Official Talks to Western Intelligence", The Washington Post, March 8, 2007. Retrieved March 8, 2007. Among other things, this included information regarding the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing.Lathem, Niles and Dan, Oron. "SPILLING HIS GUTS ", New York Post, March 8, 2007. Retrieved March 8, 2007. Asgari also smuggled out intelligence documents and maps that detail Iranian involvement with Muslim militia groups, including Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad in Palestine, and the Iraqi Mahdi army and Badr Organization. A US intelligence official said that his defection was "orchestrated by the Israelis", although Israeli spokesman Mark Regev denied this. The New York Post reported that an Iranian dissident group helped plan the defection and is negotiating with Western intelligence agencies for a "permanent place of exile".
On March 12 the German Minister of Defense, Franz Josef Jung, was asked about the disappearance during a visit to Ankara, Turkey. Jung answered, "I cannot say anything on this issue."Arsu, Sebnem. "German aide adds intrigue in case of missing Iranian", International Herald Tribune, March 13, 2007. Retrieved March 13, 2007.
According to The Sunday Telegraph, Asgari's defection was part of a CIA program called "the Brain Drain", which began in 2005 and later netted Iranian nuclear scientist Shahram Amiri.
Iranian sources and Associated Press reports say that Asgari was kidnapped by the Mossad with the help of other western intelligence agencies.
Family Asgari was married to Ziba Ahmadi and Zahra Abdollahpour and had five children. Several sources say that some of Asgari's family left Iran before he defected, possibly under the guise of a vacation.Lathem, Niles and Dan, Oron. "Iran 'Defector' Top Nuke Gen. Flees to U.S.: Report ", The New York Post, March 7, 2007. Retrieved March 7, 2007.Lathem, Niles. "Secret Network Helped Defector ", The New York Post, March 9, 2007. Retrieved March 9, 2007. One article said that 10 close family members left, including two sons and a daughter. This has been contradicted by Farda News, which said his wife and children were still in Tehran.Smyth, Gareth. "Mystery of former Iranian minister deepens", The Financial Times, March 11, 2007. Retrieved March 11, 2007. On March 12, Asgari's wife Ziba Ahmadi and daughter Elham lodged a complaint at the Turkish embassy in Tehran, saying that "He has not asked for political asylum and will never do." On March 19, ten relatives including another wife Zahra Abdollahpour again gathered at the Turkish embassy, and said that "It was America and Israel who did it but... [the] Turkish government is responsible and they should inform us about his situation as soon as possible.""Wives blame Turkey for Iranian official's 'kidnap ", SignOnSanDiego, March 19, 2007. Retrieved March 19, 2007.
In an interview on July 10 with the news agency Mehr, Ziba Ahmadi said that 90% of the evidence points towards Israel being responsible for her husband's disappearance, although she has not received any information on him.Cohen, Dudi. "Iranian general's wife says Israel kidnapped him", Ynetnews, July 10, 2007. Retrieved July 10, 2007.
2007 Iranian seizure
After 15 British navy personnel were seized by Iranian forces on March 23, 2007, some media reports suggested that the Iranian government wanted to trade them for Iranian personnel allegedly abducted, including Asgari.Panja, Tariq and Quinn, Jennifer. "Blair Warns Iran on 15 Seized Sailors". Forbes, March 25, 2007. Retrieved March 25, 2007.
Follow-up investigation In April 2007, journalist Richard Miniter published an article detailing his own investigation in Turkey as to Asgari's disappearance. Miniter found that it is impossible to reserve a room at the Ceylan Hotel in cash (as was previously reported) and that no such "Hotel Ghilan" exists, although it may have been a mispronunciation of "Hotel Divan", just across the street from the Ceylan. Miniter spoke with Professor Hasan Koni of the American Studies program at Bahcesehir University, who said that senior Turkish generals were angry at not being told which ally had taken Asgari, and that the identity of this country was a hot debate among "military, intelligence, and police circles."Miniter, Richard. "The General Vanishes ", Pajamas Media, April 9, 2007. Retrieved July 1, 2007.
Nuclear information
In early July 2007 the Israeli newspaper Yediot Aharonot reported that Asgari told US interrogators that Iran is secretly attempting to enrich uranium with a combination of lasers and chemicals at a weapons facility in Natanz; this would act as a backup if the publicly known facilities and activities were stopped by sanctions or military strikes.Bergman, Ronen. "US closer to cracking Iran's nuclear secrets", Ynetnews, July 8, 2007. Retrieved July 9, 2007. Israeli journalist Ronen Bergman expanded upon this reporting in his book The Secret War with Iran, in which he stated that Asgari had not only supplied the information regarding lasers, but had also revealed that a second site for centrifuges had been built near the principal Natanz site, and that a Syrian nuclear program, developed with North Korean help, was being paid for by Iran.
In December 2007 when the US intelligence community released the findings of an NIE stating that Iran had stopped its secret nuclear weapons program in 2003 (as opposed to the 2005 NIE which said they were continuing), some observers suspected that Asgari played some role in providing intelligence or prompting the reassessment; however, current officials have said that there was no single thing which prompted the reversal, though another source cited current diplomatic and security officials as saying that a defector was likely to be the cause of the new information.
Operation Orchard