British military network in Iran

In early January 1942, the British Defence Security Organization in Tehran (DSO) was established.^[2] The main objective of the British network at the time, was to thwart the efforts of German Abwehr network in Iran.^[3]

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.^[1] A major function of the network was promotion of its own members while keeping others, especially leftists out of important positions.^[1]

The following military personnel are known to act as assets for the network, as of early 1950s:

• Gen. Hassan Arfa, former chief-of-staff^[1]
• Col. Teymour Bakhtiyar, later director of SAVAK^[1]
• Col. Hedayat Gilanshah, personal adjutant to the shah and later Air Force commander^[1]
• Col. Hussein-Ghuli Ashrafi, a brigade commander in the Tehran garrison^[1]
• Col. Hassan Akhavi, former commander of Second Bureau^[1]

The following military personnel were closely associated with the British, as of 1960s:

• Gen. Teymour Bakhtiyar, director of SAVAK^[4]
• Gen. Mehdi Qoli Alavi-Moqadam, chief of police^[4]
• Gen. Haj-Ali Kia, commander of Second Bureau^[4]

• Bushire Under British Occupation