Iran's Intelligence Minister: Connecting to Iranians abroad badly needed
Iranian news sources: Iranian Intelligence Minister, Mr. Moslehi, speaking about recent congregation of immigrant Iranians in Tehran, emphasized "constant relationship with Iranians abroad" as a crucial need now for intelligence and security organizations. Moslehi also disclosed that emails are all monitored in Iran and even decoded, if needed. He blamed "email campaigns" from U.S. for unrest in Iran after the contested 2009 Presidential elections.
There is an estimated 4 million immigrants of Iranian origin in the world, with nearly half residing in North America. Despite the U.S. and U.N. embargo on Iran, some immigrants maintain their business ties with the Iranian government, but most immigrants avoid business or political contacts while visiting Iran. The number of visits by Iranian expatriates has dropped after the contested Presidential elections in 2009. Many would-be visitors do not feel safe due to the crack down on reformists, prevalence of the military climate, and unreliable and unsafe aircraft and flights to and from Iran.
