Iran Detains Dozens Suspected of Spying for Israel Amid Ongoing Airstrikes

Iranian authorities have detained dozens of individuals across multiple provinces on suspicions of providing intelligence to Israel. The arrests come as Israeli and U.S. military operations continue targeting locations throughout Iran.

Iranian officials have taken into custody dozens of individuals suspected of providing intelligence to Israel across multiple regions of the country, state media outlets reported Sunday, while military strikes by Israeli and American forces persist against Iranian targets.

According to the semi-official Tasnim news agency, authorities in Iran’s northwestern region detained 20 individuals Sunday following accusations from provincial prosecutors that they transmitted location data about Iranian military and security facilities to Israeli forces.

Additionally, officials in northeastern Iran, an area that has seen fewer airstrikes, apprehended 10 suspects on Sunday. Some of those detained are alleged to have gathered intelligence on critical locations and economic infrastructure, Tasnim reported.

A regional division of the Revolutionary Guards’ intelligence unit stated: “As the Zionist enemy (Israel) and the U.S. are attempting to invade Iran, they simultaneously activate mercenaries and spies to carry out riots as the next step,” according to Tasnim’s reporting.

The Student News Network also reported Sunday that authorities in Lorestan province, located in western Iran, had detained three individuals for “seeking to disturb public opinion (…) and burn mourning symbols.”

A source familiar with Israeli military operations told Reuters this week that Israel has shifted tactics to target security checkpoints using intelligence provided by local informants, marking a new development in its campaign against Iran.

Prior to the current military action by the U.S. and Israel against Iran, widespread demonstrations against the government occurred in January. These protests were suppressed in what became the most violent government crackdown since the Islamic Republic was established.

Iranian leadership attributed responsibility for what they characterized as “violent riots” designed to topple the clerical government to Israel and the United States.