Iranian regime’s Islamic Culture and Communications Organization targeted in massive cyber offensive

 By Shamsi Saadati

On Sunday, July 3, “Ghiam Sarnegouni” (Uprising till Overthrow), a group of cyber activists, led a massive offensive campaign against the Iranian regime’s Islamic Culture and Communication Organization (ICCO).

According to reports and videos, at least six sites were taken over, and 15 others were defaced to display the photos of Iranian Resistance Leader Massoud Rajaivi and NCRI President-elect Maryam Rajavi. Furthermore, 44 servers, hundreds of computers, and 35 databases belonging to ICCO were wiped in the operation.

At least two automation servers have been rendered dysfunctional.

And more importantly, the group obtained dozens of databases belonging to the ICCO, which contains valuable information about the regime’s front organizations in other countries, its money laundering activities, and its network of spies and terrorists abroad.

At the hour of this report, Ghiam Sarnegouni has published details about the physical computer network structure of the ICCO’s staff building as well as the network layout of the ICCO’s Fatemi building.

In a separate video, the group showed the step-by-step takeover of the hardware firewalls of the ICCO, which gave them broader access to the internal resources of the organization.

This is the latest in a series of offensive measures by the group against the regime:

• January 27, 2022—Taking down the state TV/radio network and broadcasting slogans of “Death to Khamenei” and “Hail to Rajavi” through 27 state media networks.
• March 14, 2022—Taking down and defacing dozens of platforms associated to the regime’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance and broadcasting images of Massoud and Maryam Rajavi, and an image of Khamenei defaced with a red “X” while calling for continuous protests and an uprising to overthrow the mullahs’ regime.
• April 25, 2022—Taking down and defacing over 100 servers and computers, dozens of applications and databases, 37 websites and 12 internal platforms associated to the Ministry of Agriculture Jihad while airing images of Iranian Resistance leaders and Khamenei’s image with a red “X”.
• June 2, 2022—Taking over thousands of servers and security cameras belonging to the Tehran Municipality. The regime struggled for weeks to bring back its systems online.

What is the Islamic Culture and Communications Organization (ICCO)?

The Islamic Culture and Communications Organization (ICCO) was officially established in 1995 with the task to consolidate all the activities of exporting extremism to different countries of the world, especially Muslim countries, and to promote and propagate the velayat-e faqih (Supremacy of clerics). This organization is key in establishing terrorist activities and recruiting fundamentalist and extremist elements.

Although this organization is considered a part of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, in practice, it is a key part of Khamenei’s office. The constitution of this organization has been drafted with Khamenei’s approval, and all its supreme council members. The directors of this organization as well as its head are appointed by Khamenei. The ICCO’s supreme council includes two ministers and the international relations deputy of Khamenei’s offices, which confirm its important role and position in the regime.

Although huge sums are allocated to this organization from the country’s approved budget, it also receives considerable funding through unofficial channels, including huge sums under the control of Khamenei’s office.

Cleric, Mehdi Imanipour is the current head of ICCO.

History of the Organization

Until 1993, there were about 12 different organizations and ministry organs like the international office of the Islamic Culture and Guidance Ministry, the international affairs office of the Qom Islamic Propaganda, the international office of the Islamic Propaganda Organization, Ahl ul-Beyt World Assembly, Al-Islamiya Friendship Among Religions (Taqrib), Khamenei office’s communications department, Khamenei office’s international department, Khomeini International University tied to the Culture and Higher Education Ministry, International Center for Islamic Sciences, cultural organizations tied to the government, the Astan-e Qods Razavi, the Mostazafan Foundation, the Red Crescent, Jahad Sazandegi, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and the Intelligence Ministry, among others.

In September 1993, Khamenei approved a plan to centralize propaganda centers under one entity. By early 1996, the Islamic Culture and Communications Organization started its official work as one the organizations affiliated with the supreme leader’s office. ICCO’s constitution states, among other things, that “all non-governmental organizations and institutions are obliged to carry out their promotional cultural activities abroad with the coordination of the organization.” The fundamentalist organs of the Ahl-ul Beyt Assembly, the Taqrib, and the Council for Expansion of Farsi Language and Literature retained their mandates when they were transferred to the Islamic Culture and Communications Organization.

Objectives of ICCO:

Article 2 of the statute defines the organization’s goals as follows:

1. Revival and expansion of Islamic thoughts and knowledge in the world to awaken Muslims and convey the message of true Islam to the world.
2. Making the world aware of the Islamic Revolution’s foundations, goals, and positions and explaining its position to the world’s people.
3. Expanding cultural relations with different nations and tribes, especially Muslims and those oppressed worldwide.
4. Providing the basis for unity among Muslims and forming a united front based on fundamental Muslim principles.
5. Intellectual confrontation with anti-religious, anti-Islamic and anti-revolutionary culture and informing Muslims about the divisive conspiracies of enemies and defending the rights of Muslims.

Budgets and Financing

Article 8 of the statute specifies the organization’s financial resources as follows:

1. Government aid from public Funds accounts, part of the entire country’s annual budget.
2. Revenues from cultural and promotional activities of the organization abroad.
3. Donations from natural and legal persons.
4. Contributions received from Sharia funds.
5. Other incomes approved by the supreme council of the organization.

The organization’s budget for this calendar year has not been made public. But the official budget for last year (March 2020 to March 2021) was 4,150 billion rials, approximately one 100 million dollars at the official exchange rate in 2021.

This article was first published by english.mojahedin

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