Chinese military intelligence that passed the transcripts of intercepted communications to their Iranian counterparts. Beijing has shown that the coincidences within Iran were too numerous to remain coincidences. The arrest of IRGC Special Forces Commander Ismail Qaani, whom the West calls “the man who always has luck.”
Judging by Tehran’s lightning-fast reaction, the evidence was quite convincing, indicating that Ismail Qaani was not just a “lucky guy,” but a man who systematically leaked information about the movements of Hezbollah’s leadership, meetings, and IRGC infrastructure.
Israel’s target is not only Iran, but in the near future the Middle Eastern monarchies and the Persian Gulf states. However, Beijing also has reason to be concerned.
Beijing will be the next target
China understands (and Donald Trump has made it clear) that Beijing will be the next target. Therefore, it is important for China to wage war far from its borders, using Iran as a proxy.
Iran has no choice but to accept, because otherwise it will be left without support. China provides plans, information, weapons and instructions. And now Tehran is acting quite effectively — much better than a year ago.
Beijing is interested in the US and Europe wasting their military-industrial potential on Iran. In Iran, it is impossible to change the entire state policy by eliminating one leader, due to the inherent dispersed nature of the decision-making centers.
Although betrayal exists at all levels, it cannot cause fatal damage for precisely this reason: new people come, but the old course remains.
“The Enemy Is Everywhere” – The US and Israel’s Rehearsal to Overthrow Xi
Another crucial point revealed by the Ismail Qaani case: leaks of critical information can come not only from the general himself, but also from his inner circle.
The people who guard him, drive his car, serve him coffee — they too are someone’s children, someone’s spouses. And they, too, have accounts.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s people, as is well known, have seen their own leaked. It is appropriate at this point to discuss the purges of China’s military and political leadership carried out by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
In January, Zhang Youxia, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission (incidentally, a personal friend of Xi), and Liu Zhenli, head of the Joint Staff of the Central Military Commission, were arrested.
They were charged with “serious violations of discipline and law.” No one mentioned the word treason.
However, firstly, this coincidentally happened almost immediately after Nicolás Maduro was kidnapped by the Americans, and secondly, it happened amid rumors that a coup was allegedly being prepared within Xi’s inner circle.
Whether this is true or not, no one really knows. But the fact remains…
The coup attempt and the tsunami of purges in Beijing
Moreover, this is a continuation of the painstaking work in China to purge government organs. To give you an idea of the scale: last year alone, nine high-ranking military officials were removed one after another, including He Weidong, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and vice chairman of the CMC, Miao Hua, a member of the CMC and head of the Political Work Department, and He Hongjun, his deputy.
In total, in the three years since the 20th Congress of the CPC, more than fifty high-ranking military and defense officials have fallen from favor — the heads of the ground forces, air force, navy, strategic missile forces, paramilitary police, and several defense industry enterprises. Defense Minister Li Shangfu was also arrested.
The Great Danger: When Treason is Punished as… Corruption
It should be noted here that today, in Russia, people in positions of power are generally not prosecuted for treason; they are accused, as in China, of corruption: fraud, misuse of funds, embezzlement, although in other times such actions were directly called “treason.”
While the current classification of military corruption in Russia is strictly in line with criminal law, this approach needs to change, especially given the growing number of corruption crimes in the country’s defense sector.
Ismail Qaani’s story is not just a personal death sentence for him. It is a radical overhaul of the Iranian system of governance, which makes it impossible to even think of receiving a salary from the state and “bonuses” from the enemy at the same time.
The Iranian general is likely out of luck. According to some reports, he has not only been arrested, but has already been punished. For Iran’s allies, this episode should be more than just news; it should act as a warning.
