ISLAMABAD: Iranian authorities have reportedly arrested 73 individuals’ mostly Indian citizens, spying for Israel during the ongoing tensions in the region.
According to reports, the arrests were part of a wider crackdown in Tehran following an Israeli airstrike that killed senior Iranian military officials and dozens of civilians
Reportedly most of the arrested persons are Indian nationals linked with Indian intelligence agency RAW, who were involved in safeguarding the Israel interests in the ongoing tensions in the region, providing information to Israel about Iranian official’s movement and others.
The development has reignited concerns over India’s alleged involvement in destabilizing Pakistan’s Balochistan province through support for militant outfits like the BLA and BLF. The arrests lend further credibility to Pakistan’s long-standing claims that foreign-backed insurgencies are fuelling unrest in Balochistan.
Analysts said that the time is ripe for Iran and Pakistan to work together to dismantle these cross-border terror networks.
Pakistan has consistently warned the international community about India’s use of its intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), to sponsor terrorism not only within Pakistan but in different countries across the region, including inside Iran and the recent arrests of Indian nationals in Tehran is proved Pakistan’s narrative.
A key example cited by officials is Kulbhushan Yadav, a serving Indian Navy officer who was arrested in Balochistan in 2016.
Kulbhushan Yadav was working as a RAW operative and ran a covert espionage and sabotage network from Iranian territory aimed at destabilizing Balochistan. Officials describe him as “just the tip of the iceberg,” suggesting a broader and more coordinated campaign orchestrated by India to undermine Pakistan’s internal stability.
Commenting on the recent arrests of Indian nationals in Tehran for working against the Iranian interest in the ongoing tensions in the region, the senior Pakistani analyst emphasized that the threat posed by India’s intelligence operations is no longer limited to Pakistan alone, but now extends to regional partners as well.
“The threat is no longer just ours, it is both ours and yours,” analyst remarked, addressing Iran directly.
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He also called upon the Iranian government to take swift and decisive action to safeguard mutual interests and regional stability. He proposed key steps to end the Indian influence in the region, identifying and dismantling RAW-operated terror networks operating on Iranian soil, expelling individuals and organizations involved in anti-state activities, and enhancing bilateral intelligence and security cooperation to confront this shared threat.
