Tehran has arrested tens of thousands of people in an unprecedented crackdown on alleged Israeli espionage networks, according to a report from The Times UK. The campaign follows what officials have described as a humiliating breach of the country’s security, after Israel’s covert operations during the recent conflict exposed deep vulnerabilities in Iran’s military and intelligence apparatus.
Iranian state media said authorities have urged citizens to report “suspicious” individuals, leading to mass detentions across the country. The country’s top judge pledged to deal “decisively and legally” with those accused of spying, just a week after another alleged Israeli agent was executed.
The United Nations has condemned the arrests, warning that ethnic and religious minorities, as well as journalists and human rights advocates, are being disproportionately targeted. Thousands of Afghan nationals have reportedly been expelled.
The crackdown comes in the wake of a devastating Israeli offensive that began with a clandestine operation to cripple Iran’s air defences. A coordinated wave of airstrikes decapitated the Iranian military leadership and killed nearly two dozen nuclear scientists. Analysts say Mossad’s intelligence penetration — including ground operations by small commando units — was central to Israel’s success, enabling it to operate freely inside Iranian territory.
“The scale of infiltration was massive,” Farzan Sabet of the Global Governance Centre told The Times UK. “This purge is as much about regaining pride as it is about security.”
Political analysts suggest the government is also acting out of fear of domestic unrest. Economic hardship, unpaid wages, and widespread anger at the regime’s perceived weakness have fuelled speculation that new waves of protests could erupt in the coming months. Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has openly called on Iranians to “take to the streets” and challenge the regime.
Iran has a history of announcing arrests and executions of suspected spies, but it has remained silent on whether high-ranking officials have been compromised. Security experts believe intelligence protocols have been overhauled and senior-level investigations are underway.
“Minorities are the easiest to round up,” said Sanam Vakil of Chatham House. “But the real question is — where are the leaks at the highest levels? Those are the ones we’re unlikely to hear about.”
