Iran Reports Arrest of Foreign National Accused of Working for Israeli Intelligence
By Palestine Chronicle Staff
Searches of the suspect’s residence and personal belongings reportedly uncovered documents described by the IRGC as conclusive evidence of espionage.
Iranian security authorities announced the dismantling of a foreign espionage network after the Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps arrested a foreign national accused of working on behalf of Israel’s intelligence service, Mossad.
According to an official statement issued on Saturday, the suspect entered Iran using a covert identity and was tasked with gathering sensitive intelligence and assessing operational conditions related to Mossad-linked activities. Authorities said the arrest took place while the individual was actively carrying out these assignments.
Searches of the suspect’s residence and personal belongings reportedly uncovered documents described by the IRGC as conclusive evidence of espionage, establishing direct ties to Israeli intelligence. Officials said investigations are ongoing to determine the full extent of the network and identify any additional collaborators.
The Lebanese news network Al Mayadeen reported that the arrest is part of a broader security campaign launched amid unrest in several Iranian cities. Iranian officials said that initially peaceful economic protests were deliberately redirected toward organized violence and sabotage.
Security authorities have repeatedly warned that foreign intelligence services have escalated covert operations inside Iran, seeking to exploit economic pressures through hybrid warfare rather than direct military confrontation.
Coordinated Destabilization Strategy
In earlier statements, IRGC intelligence officials said assessments indicate that Iran’s adversaries, having failed to impose their objectives through open aggression, have shifted toward fostering internal instability, weakening social cohesion, and undermining public security.
The organization accused hostile actors, led by the United States and backed by Israeli officials, of pursuing a multi-layered strategy combining economic warfare, renewed sanctions, psychological operations, and acts of destruction. These efforts, it said, are being carried out through armed and extremist groups operating inside Iran under foreign direction.
Iranian officials have also pointed to public comments by US and Israeli figures on the unrest as evidence of political and psychological encouragement rather than neutral observation. Tehran has raised the matter diplomatically, warning that incitement and covert interference violate international law and pose risks to regional stability.
Violence on the Ground
Iranian media reported that counterterrorism operations continued across multiple provinces over the weekend.
In Ilam Province, security forces reportedly killed a senior figure described as a leader of terrorist activity and arrested six others during an overnight operation. In a separate incident in Mashhad, an armed militant was killed and a member of the security forces was wounded during clashes.
Authorities in Razavi Khorasan Province later announced that seven security personnel were killed during the unrest in Mashhad, including two in knife attacks, according to Iranian media. Additional casualties were reported elsewhere after violent groups infiltrated protests that had initially begun over economic conditions.
Officials characterized the incidents as acts of terrorism rather than protest, citing arson attacks on public infrastructure, assaults on military facilities, and the killing of civilians, including a child, as evidence of coordinated escalation directed from abroad.
Security Red Lines
Al Mayadeen reported that, while reiterating that peaceful demonstrations over economic grievances are legitimate, Iranian authorities stressed that violence, sabotage, and foreign-backed unrest will not be tolerated.
In its statement, the IRGC described the protection of public security and the achievements of the Islamic Revolution as non-negotiable, pledging to continue confronting hostile plots until stability is restored.
These positions were echoed by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who said Washington was mistaken in assuming that tactics used elsewhere could succeed inside Iran.
(PC, Al Mayadeen)