Already a subscriber? Make sure to log into your account before viewing this content. You can access your account by hitting the “login” button on the top right corner. Still unable to see the content after signing in? Make sure your card on file is up-to-date.

Iranian officials have revealed that multiple people allegedly tied to Israel were arrested in an espionage crackdown.

Getting into it: In an announcement, judiciary officials confirmed that 20 people were arrested on suspicion of working for Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency. Judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangiri said these cases will be pursued aggressively to “make an example” of anyone found guilty of espionage.

Officials say the 20 arrested on Mossad-related charges are believed to be part of a broader network tasked with tracking sensitive sites, monitoring high-value individuals, and passing information to Israeli operatives. While the judiciary has yet to release hard evidence, it insists that investigations are ongoing and that more arrests could follow.

These arrests are part of a much broader domestic security sweep in which more than 21,000 people were detained during the 12-day conflict with Israel. Police spokesman Saeid Montazerolmahdi said the crackdown was fueled by a surge in public tip-offs after the government called on citizens to report suspicious behavior.

Among those detained were 2,774 foreign nationals (many of them Afghan migrants) accused by authorities of espionage or security violations after reviewing their devices and finding images of military facilities, location-sharing data, and other “suspicious” materials. Officials also reported that 261 detainees were formally charged with spying, while another 172 were arrested for unauthorized filming.