The General is indeed creating a diversion, that is part of his ploy in the rescue mission. The prompting question is are the Iranian soldiers are informed, equipped and loyal? They are guarding a bio dump site, should the alarm be raised that the agent is on the loose, how many will bother to get into protective gear? Most likely the General has ascertained they will not, and hightail it out of there including the guards at the make-shift prison his son is being held in. The General is counting on this for surprise and advantage to get in and out before a counterstrike is launched against the rescue team.