Iran Arrests 500 for Spying for “Israel”, US

By Staff, Agencies

Iran's police chief has announced the arrest of 500 individuals accused of passing intelligence to enemy forces, as security services intensify their crackdown on espionage networks operating across the country during the ongoing US- “Israeli” aggression on Iran.

Brigadier General Ahmad Reza Radan made the announcement in a televised interview on Sunday, revealing that among those detained, 250 had been classified as "important cases," individuals who actively fed information to hostile actors and cooperated with armed groups by filming strike sites and transmitting the footage to them.

Radan further disclosed that 20 detainees had been designated "very important cases," identified as members of a coordinated spy cell operating across three Iranian provinces.

The network has since been dismantled, he said, adding that key perpetrators behind a separate sabotage operation had also been apprehended after they relayed intelligence on a private company that was subsequently targeted in an enemy strike.

Radan did not specify when or where the bulk of the arrests took place.

According to Iranian media, dozens of additional arrests were carried out across several regions on Sunday. At least 20 people were detained in northwestern Iran, specifically in West Azerbaijan Province, on charges of transmitting location data on military and security assets to “Israel”.

Provincial prosecutor Hossein Majidi confirmed the detentions, stating that suspects were apprehended after investigations revealed the transmission of strategic information to the "Israeli" enemy.

A further 10 individuals were arrested in northeastern Iran, a region that has so far been largely spared from direct airstrikes. Some of those arrested are accused of collecting intelligence on sensitive sites and economic infrastructure, Tasnim reported.

The latest wave of arrests forms part of a sweeping security campaign Iranian authorities have been conducting across multiple provinces since the onset of the US-“Israeli” aggression. Earlier this month, Iran's Ministry of Intelligence announced the arrest of 30 individuals on espionage charges linked to both the United States and "Israel," following operations spanning several provinces.

Among those detained in prior operations were a foreign national accused of spying on behalf of two Gulf states acting as proxies for Washington and “Tel Aviv”, as well as members of separatist and armed groups in Sistan and Baluchistan and Kurdistan provinces.

Iranian security forces have also moved against monarchist networks, with over 50 pro-Shah figures detained over a three-day period last week, among them individuals found in possession of firearms and cold weapons, according to Fars News Agency.