
Iranian authorities have detained dozens of individuals suspected of providing Israel with sensitive information, according to local reports published Sunday, as Israeli and U.S. airstrikes continue targeting sites across the country.
In Iran’s northwest, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that prosecutors ordered the arrest of 20 people accused of transmitting the locations of military and security installations to Israel.
Separately, Tasnim reported that authorities in northeastern Iran detained 10 individuals on Sunday. Some of those taken into custody are suspected of gathering intelligence on sensitive facilities and key economic infrastructure.
“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,” a provincial branch of the Revolutionary Guards’ intelligence organization said, according to Tasnim.
Additional arrests were reported in western Iran. The Student News Network said three people were detained in Lorestan province for “seeking to disturb public opinion (…) and burn mourning symbols.”
According to a source familiar with Israel’s military planning, Israeli forces have recently begun striking security checkpoints and other targets based on information supplied by informants operating inside Iran, marking a new stage in Israel’s campaign.
The arrests come amid continuing internal tensions in Iran. In January, just weeks before the United States and Israel launched their current military campaign against the country, large anti-government demonstrations erupted across Iran.
Those protests were suppressed in what became the deadliest crackdown in the history of the Islamic Republic.
Iranian officials accused both Israel and the United States of instigating the unrest, alleging that the demonstrations were “violent riots” intended to topple the country’s clerical leadership.