179: Chapter 176 The Traitor

Ahvaz, Reza's office.

Night.

Fatima walked in, carrying a technical report.

"I have an urgent warning," she said.

"What is it?"

"Iraq may be preparing for a large-scale offensive."

"Why do you say that?"

"Several signs," Fatima said. "First, Iraq is massing troops in the south. Our satellite reconnaissance shows that over the past week, Iraq has moved approximately 200,000 troops to the south."

"200,000."

"Second, Iraq's artillery is also massing toward the front line. Third, Iraq's air force is redeploying closer to the Iran border."

"When will they attack?"

"I estimate within two to three weeks," Fatima said.

"If the United States provides Iraq with electronic warfare equipment," Reza said, "then—"

"Then our air defense systems will fail," Fatima finished his sentence. "Iraq will gain air superiority. They will use air power to support a ground offensive. It will be very difficult for us to resist."

"Our countermeasures?"

Fatima opened her report.

"Several directions," she said. "First, we need to deploy anti-electronic warfare equipment as soon as possible. I ordered some from the Soviet Union, but it will take two weeks to arrive."

"That means it should arrive before Iraq attacks."

"It should," Fatima said, "but there are no guarantees. Second, we need to prepare ground defenses. If we lose the air war, the ground forces must hold firm."

"Anything else?"

"Third," Fatima said, "we can launch a preemptive strike. Before Iraq is ready, we launch an attack to disrupt their deployment."

Reza thought for a moment.

"How many troops would a preemptive strike require?" he asked.

"At least 100,000," Fatima said. "The most we can currently mobilize is 120,000."

"Iraq has 200,000."

"Yes."

"We cannot win."

"We cannot win a decisive battle," Fatima said, "but we can disrupt their deployment, delay their offensive, and give us time to receive the equipment from the Soviet Union."

Reza nodded.

"Make a plan," he said. "A detailed plan. Give it to me tomorrow."

"Understood."

Fatima packed up her report and prepared to leave.

Walking to the door, she stopped.

"Reza."

"Yes?"

"Yesterday I said I wanted to talk about us," she said. "I'm withdrawing that. Now is not the time."

Reza looked at her.

"I know," he said.

"After the war ends," Fatima said, "we will talk again."

"Okay."

"But—" she paused, "you have to ensure you survive until the war ends."

Reza smiled.

"I will do my best."

Fatima left.

Reza sat alone in his office.

He had much on his mind.

Iraq's offensive. U.S. intervention. Soviet support. Ayatollah Khomeini's suspicion.

Everything weighed heavily on him.

But he had to handle them one by one.

War. Handle the war first.

He picked up a pen.

In his notebook, he wrote a line:

"The storm is coming, but I am already prepared."

He closed the notebook.

The phone rang.

It was Karimi.

"Your Excellency Reza," Karimi said, "We have captured an Iraqi agent. He was found near our Scud missile base."

"What has he confessed?"

"He was preparing for the next Iraqi offensive. He was planning to sabotage our missile base."

"Anything else?"

"Yes," Karimi said. "He also gave a name. Someone inside Iran. A spy we have not yet discovered."

"Who?"

Karimi said a name.

Reza froze.

He recognized the name.

Moreover, this person was one of the Supreme Leader's most trusted aides.

...

March 24, 1982, 1:00 AM, underground interrogation room in Ahvaz.

Reza went to the interrogation room in person.

He wanted to see the Iraqi agent.

The agent was tied to a chair. There were injuries on his face. Karimi's men had been interrogating him for several hours.

"Say it again," Karimi said. "Who is the person inside Iran you contacted?"

The agent raised his head.

"Mirza," he said. "Javad Mirza. He is the Deputy Director of the Supreme Leader's office."

Reza heard the name without any expression.

But inside, he was in turmoil.

Javad Mirza.

Reza knew this person. He had met him a few times. Mirza was in his forties, wore glasses, and spoke softly. He had worked in the Supreme Leader's office for five years, and the Supreme Leader trusted him deeply.

"How do you contact him?" Karimi asked.

"Through a dead drop," the agent said. "At a mosque in Tehran. We exchange intelligence there every month."

"What kind of intelligence does he give you?"

"A lot," the agent said. "Minutes of Iranian cabinet meetings. The phone calls between the Supreme Leader and Reza. Iran's military decisions."

Reza closed his eyes.

If Mirza had passed on all this intelligence, then Iraq—and the United States—already knew many of Iran's core secrets.

"Why did he defect?" Reza asked.

The agent looked at Reza.

"I don't know," he said. "I am just the contact person. Mirza was recruited by someone else."

"When did it start?"

"I took over a year ago," the agent said, "but he has likely been cooperating with us for several years."

Reza signaled for Karimi to step out.

They walked out of the interrogation room.

"Your assessment?" Reza asked.

"The agent is likely telling the truth," Karimi said. "He has been interrogated for six hours. He has no reason to lie anymore."

"Then Mirza is indeed a spy."

"Yes."

Reza stood in the corridor, silent for a long time.

This was an extremely serious matter.

The Deputy Director of the Supreme Leader's office was an Iraqi spy. This meant that all decisions at the highest level of Iran were known to Iraq.

But what was more complicated was how Reza should handle this matter.

He could not tell the Supreme Leader directly.

First, the Supreme Leader might not believe it. Mirza was an aide he had personally selected. The Supreme Leader was very confident in his own judgment, and he might think Reza was attacking his people.

Second, even if the Supreme Leader believed it, he might doubt Reza's motives. Ayatollah Khomeini was already suspicious of Reza. Exposing someone in the Supreme Leader's inner circle at this time would only complicate matters.

Third, even if the Supreme Leader believed him and did not doubt Reza's motives, Mirza might reveal intelligence about Reza during the interrogation, which would implicate Reza.

Fourth, and most importantly—if Mirza were arrested immediately, Iraq would know he had been caught. Iraq would change all deployments based on Mirza's intelligence, and Reza would lose the opportunity to utilize this spy.