The Exposure of Noureddin Kianouri in Iran

The Exposure of Noureddin Kianouri

Noureddin Kianouri

   In 1983, Ayatollah Khomeini, the supreme spiritual leader of Iran, suddenly dissolved the Tudeh party. Iran Radio announced that the Secretary General of this party was found to be a Russian agent. Hundreds of political workers were arrested and sent to prison. Scores of them were hanged in public. This is the story of the most scandalous espionage episode in Iran, in which Iranian fundamentalists, Great Britain and Russians played their own games.

 

   Ayatollah Khomeini, the supreme leader of Iran, made a sensational announcement on the radio in May, 1983. He said, ”We have dissolved the Tudeh party. It has been found to be full of foreign agents. Its Secretary General, Noureddin Kianouri, has confessed that he was a Russian agent since 1945. All these traitors to the country have been ordered to be arrested. We shall hang all those against whom evidence is found that they were foreign spies. In the meantime, eighteen Soviet diplomats have been asked to leave within two days for spying and contacts with traitors.”

   The whole world was surprised by these events in Iran. It was well known that the Russians backed the Khomeini regime and had helped him in coming to power. How was it that Iran was now turning its back on the Russians? Actually, these events were directly connected with the defection of “Vladimir Andreyevich Kuzichkin”. He was a KGB agent and posted in Russian Embassy in Teheran as Consul. He has extensive contacts with Iranian Communists

Ayatollah Khomeini with Yasir arafat

   He was a scholar in oriental languages and spoke Persian fluently. He sought asylum in Britain. It is believed that the British Intelligence entered into a deal with the Iranian Government. They promised to give the Iranian Government information about Russian activities in their country if the Iranians helped in taking out Kuzichkin. Vladimir Kuzichkin disappeared from Teheran in July 1982. His car was found abandoned near Iranian Intelligence head-quarters. He arrived in London via Paris, in October 1982. It is presumed that action was taken against Tudeh party and its members on the basis of information supplied by Kuzichkin to British Intelligence. Basically, the Tudeh party was of Communists and their sympathizers.  

Vladimir Kuzichkin

   Some discontent was building up in Iran against the conservative and fundamentalist policies of Ayatollah Khomeini. The Russians wanted to take advantage of the expanding ambitions of Noureddin Kianouri, the Secretary General of Tudeh party. Vladimir Kuzichkin had direct cot acts with the communists and had solid information on political moves. As soon as Great Britain agreed to his terms, Kuzichkin fled from Iran and told everything to British Intelligence, who in turn informed Iranian Government. Ayatollah Khomeini was in rage when he learnt about the Russians plans to promote Noureddin Kianouri. He came down on the Communists with a heavy hand.

   Vladimir Kuzichkin was given a house in Sussex. Great Britain could improve its relations with Iran because of his disclosures. On the other side, the Ayatollah Khomeini became disenchanted with the Russians.

 

Want to read more spy scandals...   Click Here

Want to know more about spies...    Click Here