Iran arrests dozens of people accused of being informants for Israel

DUBAI: Dozens of people accused of sharing sensitive information with Israel have been arrested in several areas of Iran, local media reported on Sunday, as Israeli and U.S. fighter jets continue to strike new targets in the country.

In northwestern Iran, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday that 20 people were arrested on accusations by the provincial prosecutor’s office of sending location details on Iran’s military and security assets to Israel.

In northeastern Iran, which has remained relatively untouched by air strikes, Tasnim reported the arrest of 10 people on Sunday, with some accused of collecting information on sensitive locations and 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 organisation said, according to Tasnim.

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The Student News Network also reported on Sunday that three people were detained in the western province of Lorestan for “seeking to disturb public opinion (…) and burn mourning symbols.”

Israel has begun targeting security checkpoints based on tip-offs from informants on the ground, representing a new phase of its assault on Iran, a source briefed on Israel’s military strategy told Reuters this week.

In January, weeks before the U.S. and Israel launched the current war against Iran, there were widespread anti-government protests in Iran that were repressed in the deadliest crackdown in the Islamic Republic’s history.

Authorities had blamed Israel and the U.S. for fomenting what they said were “violent riots” aimed at overthrowing the clerical establishment.