The dismissal of a top intelligence official indicates Iran’s desire to reduce tensions with Turkey, as well as improve its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)’s domestic influence and foreign capabilities ahead of a possible collapse of nuclear negotiations with the United States. Iranian state TV announced on June 23 that Hossein Taeb was removed as the head of the IRGC’s Intelligence Organization (IRGC-IO) and had been replaced by Mohammed Kazemi, who was previously in charge of the IRGC’s Intelligence Protection Organization. Taeb’s dismissal came on the same day Turkish officials reportedly arrested eight people (at least five of whom were Iranians) who were allegedly working for an Iranian intelligence cell that had been planning to abduct Israelis in Istanbul. ...