Tehran, Iran – A climate of intense suspicion and paranoia is gripping Iran, as authorities have arrested dozens of individuals accused of spying for Israel and have issued stark public warnings on how to identify potential collaborators. The crackdown follows stunning revelations that Israeli Mossad operatives allegedly orchestrated attacks from within Iranian territory.
In a clear message to would-be spies, Iran on Monday hanged a man arrested two years ago on charges of collaborating with Israeli intelligence. The judiciary’s Mizan news agency identified the executed man as Esmaeil Fekri, who was arrested in 2023. Human rights groups have raised concerns about the fairness of his trial, especially considering Iranian trials tend to lack the fairness and rigour of comparative Western legal processes.
Since Israeli strikes commenced last Friday, a significant domestic security operation has been underway. In the capital, Tehran, alone, 28 people have been detained and accused of spying for Israel. The arrests have extended across the country, with dozens more taken into custody for allegedly sharing online content “in support of the Zionist regime,” an act authorities claim disrupts the “psychological security of society.” In Isfahan, where Israel claims to have struck a nuclear site, 60 people were reportedly arrested.
The sweep of arrests comes as Tehran grapples with the assertion by Israeli officials that Mossad agents smuggled weapons into Iran, established a covert base, and launched explosive drones to disable air defenses and target missile launchers from inside the country ahead of a wider Israeli Air Force onslaught.
This has fueled a palpable sense of paranoia within the regime, prompting the Intelligence Ministry to enlist the public in its counter-espionage efforts. The ministry has issued guidance urging citizens to be wary of strangers wearing masks or goggles, individuals carrying large bags, or those seen filming near military, industrial, or residential zones.
State-affiliated media have amplified these warnings. A poster circulated by Nour News, an outlet with close ties to Iran’s security apparatus, advised suspicion of people who wear “masks, hats, and sunglasses, even at night” and those who receive “frequent package deliveries by courier.” The poster also asks the public to report “unusual sounds from inside the house, such as screaming, the sound of metal equipment, continuous banging” and to be alert to “houses with curtains drawn even during the day.”
Another public notice, attributed to the police, instructed landlords who have recently rented out properties to notify the authorities immediately. The climate of fear has reportedly extended to journalists, who have told international news outlets they are now prohibited from taking pictures on the street.
In response to the perceived internal threat, Iran’s chief commander of the Law Enforcement Command, Ahmad-Reza Radan, has reportedly urged those who may have been deceived by foreign intelligence services to come forward, suggesting they might receive leniency, while warning that those caught would be dealt with harshly.
The head of Iran’s judiciary, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i, has called for swift and severe punishment for anyone found to be collaborating with Israel. “Let’s say we have apprehended someone who is collaborating with (Israel), this matter under these war-like conditions … must be prosecuted swiftly and punished swiftly,” he said in remarks published by state media.
Iranian authorities claim to have seized equipment related to the Israeli operation, including a significant quantity of explosives, suicide drones, and manufacturing equipment in the city of Rey, in Tehran province. A video released by the Fars News Agency purported to show a building containing drone parts.
The internal security crisis unfolds against a backdrop of domestic tension, with the government still facing the echoes of widespread anti-regime protests. The Basij, a paramilitary wing of the Revolutionary Guard instrumental in suppressing those demonstrations, has now been tasked with conducting night patrols to heighten surveillance in the wake of the alleged Israeli infiltration.
