Iran busts "pro-monarchy terrorist" network in southeastern province

Tehran [Iran], November 12: Iran's intelligence forces have smashed a "terrorist" network comprising proponents of the country's overthrown monarchy in the southeastern province of Kerman, the official news agency IRNA reported on Saturday.
The network was identified and dismantled by the forces of the provincial branch of the Intelligence Organization of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps following intelligence monitoring, IRNA quoted Ebrahim Hamidi, head of the Justice Ministry's office in Kerman, as saying, without specifying the date of the operation and the number of the arrestees.
Hamidi said the network's members were in contact with "hostile" media outlets and individuals based abroad and had perpetrated a series of acts to undermine the country's security, including launching attacks on public places, damaging public property, setting fire to city banners and distributing flyers advocating for anti-Islamic contents.
He said the network's leaders received orders from "pro-monarchy ringleaders" and had recently been involved in carrying out armed activities, stressing that they sought to assassinate a security force officer in Kerman province before being arrested.
The monarchical rule in Iran was overturned in 1979 following the victory of the Islamic Revolution, which since then brought Shiite clerics to power.
Source: Xinhua