Iranian state-linked media reported on Sunday that security forces have detained multiple individuals in different regions of the country on allegations they supplied sensitive information to Israel, in a wave of arrests announced as air strikes by Israeli and U.S. jets persist.
The semi-official Tasnim news agency said authorities in northwestern Iran arrested 20 people after the provincial prosecutor’s office accused them of sending location details on Iran’s military and security installations to Israel. In the northeast, Tasnim reported another 10 arrests, with some of those detained accused of gathering intelligence on sensitive sites and on economic infrastructure.
A provincial branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps intelligence organisation was quoted by Tasnim as saying: "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." The comment framed the detentions as part of a response to what authorities describe as external attempts to undermine Iranian stability.
Separate reporting by the Student News Network said three people were detained in Lorestan province in western Iran on charges of "seeking to disturb public opinion (...) and burn mourning symbols." The network linked those detentions to concerns among Iranian authorities about agitation and acts seen as provocations.
Officials have also said informants on the ground have provided tip-offs that enabled new targeting by Israeli forces. A source briefed on Israel’s military strategy said this week that Israel has begun to target security checkpoints based on information from local informants, a development described by the source as a new phase of operations inside Iran.
The arrests come against the backdrop of a broader domestic security flashpoint. In January, weeks before the current round of strikes by the U.S. and Israel, Iran experienced widespread anti-government protests that were met with a forceful crackdown. Authorities attributed those disturbances to what they described as "violent riots" fomented by Israel and the U.S., accusing foreign actors of seeking to topple the clerical leadership.
State media accounts and statements from security bodies presented the recent detentions as part of Tehran’s efforts to counter perceived external interference and internal unrest. Officials have linked the arrests to the ongoing military campaign and to previous episodes of civil unrest, underscoring how domestic security measures and external military actions are being portrayed as interconnected by Iranian authorities.
Reporting notes: The information above is drawn from official and semi-official Iranian media reports and a source described as briefed on Israeli strategy. Where outlets and sources were named in those reports, they are referenced accordingly.