Israeli media exposes new unit of Iran's Al-Quds Force

Gal Farsat heads the secret IRGC unit, with extensive connections to senior officials in Iran, Syria and Lebanon

A new unit of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has been revealed. According to Israel's public broadcaster Kan, Unit 700 is headed by Gal Farsat, a former Al-Quds Force official with extensive connections to senior officials in Iran, Syria and Lebanon, I24 reports.

Unit 700 was reported to be in charge of smuggling supplies and logistics for the Al-Quds Force. In particular, it will be responsible for transferring military equipment to pro-Iranian militias, notably in Syria and to Hezbollah in Lebanon. 

Iranian arms sales have been in the headlines, whether for smuggling weapons to terrorist militias in Gaza, Lebanon or Syria, or supplying Russia in their war against Ukraine. For their part, the Ukrainian government approved a 50-year sanctions package against Iran on May 29.

The sanctions included a complete ban on trade operations, transit of Iranian resources, flights and transportation in the territory of Ukraine, the transfer of technologies and intellectual property rights by its residents, and any investment in Iran.

On June 5, a 16-page arms contract revealed Iran has been selling ammunition to Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, according to a report by SkyNews. It was the first official evidence of what had long been suspected by Kyiv and Washington.

Meanwhile, Iran will reopen its embassy in Saudi Arabia on June 6, after it was closed for seven years. Their relations were severed in 2016, after its embassy in Tehran and consulate in the northwestern city of Mashhad were attacked, during protests over Riyadh's execution of Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr. After years of discord, the two Middle East heavyweights signed a surprise reconciliation agreement in China on March 10.