Mark Lindsey
Since the 1979 revolution, Iran has spawned more than a dozen disparate intelligence agencies that engage in domestic and foreign surveillance. They separately report to different government ministries, branches of the military, or police forces. Under the constitution, the Supreme National Security Council, which develops national security policy, is charged with coordinating intelligence activities. The agencies are supposed to share information, but their missions often overlap, and they sometimes compete with, or undermine, each other over resources and influence.