Iranian authorities have initiated a series of arrests and executions targeting individuals suspected of connections to Israeli intelligence following the recent conflict between Iran and Israel. Officials allege that there has been an unprecedented infiltration of Iranian security services by Israeli operatives.

These actions stem from concerns that intelligence provided to Israel contributed to a number of high-profile assassinations throughout the conflict, including the targeted killings of senior commanders from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and nuclear scientists, which Iran attributes to the activities of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency.

Disturbed by the scale and precision of these assassinations, Iranian authorities have broadened their scope, targeting anyone suspected of collusion with foreign intelligence. Officials assert these measures are necessary for national security. However, many observers express concern that these actions may also serve to suppress dissent and exert tighter control over the populace.

During the 12-day conflict, Iranian authorities executed three individuals accused of espionage on behalf of Israel. Just one day after the ceasefire, three additional individuals faced the same fate on similar allegations. In the aftermath, authorities have announced the arrest of hundreds of individuals across the nation, accusing them of espionage. State media has aired alleged confessions from several detainees, who reportedly admitted to collaborating with Israeli intelligence.

Human rights organizations and activists have voiced alarm over these developments, citing Iran’s history of coerced confessions and unfair trials. There are growing fears that additional executions may follow.

Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence claims it is engaged in a “relentless battle” against what it labels Western and Israeli intelligence networks, including the CIA, Mossad, and MI6. The Fars News Agency, affiliated with the IRGC, reported that since the onset of Israel’s actions against Iran on June 13, the Israeli spy network has become increasingly active within the country, with Iranian security forces detaining over 700 individuals allegedly connected to these networks.

Reports from Iranians to BBC Persian indicate that they have received warning text messages from the intelligence ministry advising them that their phone numbers appeared on social media accounts tied to Israel. They were told to remove themselves from these pages or face legal repercussions.

Additionally, the Iranian government has intensified its scrutiny of journalists working for Persian-language media outlets abroad, including BBC Persian, Iran International, and Manoto TV. Iran International has reported that the IRGC detained the family members of one of its television presenters in Tehran to pressure her into resigning due to the channel’s coverage of the Iran-Israel conflict. The presenter reportedly received a phone call from her father, orchestrated by security agents, urging her to quit and warning of potential repercussions.

Threats against BBC Persian journalists and their families have intensified since the onset of the ongoing conflict. Eyewitness accounts from the affected journalists indicate that Iranian security officials have contacted their families, asserting that it is permissible in a wartime context to target relatives as hostages. The journalists have been labeled “mohareb,” a term meaning ‘one who wages war against God,’ which carries the potential for the death penalty under Iranian law.

Additionally, Manoto TV has reported similar occurrences involving threats made against employees’ families, alongside demands to sever all connections with the channel. Relatives of employees have faced threats of charges such as “enmity against God” and espionage—both serious offenses under Iranian legislation.

Analysts believe these tactics are part of a broader strategy aimed at silencing dissent and intimidating exiled media workers. Furthermore, security forces have detained numerous activists, writers, and artists often without formal charges. There are also reports of arrests targeting family members of individuals who died during the 2022 “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests against the government.

These developments point to an extensive campaign focused not only on current activists but also on those connected with earlier movements of dissent.

During the conflict, the Iranian government imposed severe restrictions on internet access, and despite the ceasefire, full access remains unavailable. This pattern of limiting internet access during crises, especially during nationwide protests, has become commonplace in Iran. Most social media platforms like Instagram, Telegram, X, and YouTube, along with news outlets such as BBC Persian, have been blocked in Iran, requiring VPN services to access them.

Human rights advocates and political analysts have drawn comparisons to the oppressive tactics employed during the 1980s, when Iranian authorities violently quelled political opposition amid the Iran-Iraq War. There are growing concerns that, following Iran’s diminished international status due to the conflict with Israel, the regime may once again implement mass arrests, executions, and severe reprisals.

Critics have recalled the events of 1988, when thousands of political prisoners, often already serving sentences, were executed after brief, secretive trials organized by “death commissions.” Most victims were interred in unmarked mass graves.