Wagner: The Invention of a Monster

In his book **The Iranian Ministry of Intelligence: A Brief History**, Stephen R. Ward uses his nearly thirty years of experience at the CIA to provide an in-depth and provocative analysis of one of the Middle East's most prominent and least-studied intelligence agencies. In seven chapters, Ward presents a comprehensive vision of the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security, addressing pivotal topics that include: its origins and foundations, leadership, organizational structure, operations, the ministry’s position within the broader Iranian intelligence community, its cultural representations, and a future outlook on what this institution may become. The book by Stephen R. Ward, the first book to address Iran's mysterious Ministry of Intelligence, is a comprehensive, simplified overview of Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and its focus on tracking and confronting domestic dissent and incitement believed to be supported from abroad. The department's checkered record on effective intelligence operations includes a history of assassinations and human rights violations. A clearer picture of Iran's Ministry of Intelligence is crucial to understanding how the Islamic Republic of Iran operates, seeks security, and competes with its adversaries. The book _"Iranian Ministry of Intelligence"_ updates and improves the scarce information available about Iranian intelligence activities. The book's chapters cover the origins of the Ministry of Intelligence, its leaders, its structure, its organizational culture, its operations and methods, its foreign partners, its cultural representations, and its future aspirations. The book also provides an in-depth study of this contemporary intelligence agency that does not follow the model of Western organizations. The book _Iranian Ministry of Intelligence_ will be of interest to researchers, students and general readers interested in intelligence, Iranian history and politics. It will also be an important reference for those working in national security and foreign policy.