TEHRAN: Iran’s police chief announced on Sunday that security forces have arrested 500 individuals across the country on charges of providing information to enemies and hostile foreign media .
Brigadier General Ahmadreza Radan stated that half of the cases—250 people—involved serious security breaches. According to the police chief, these suspects provided intelligence for targeting sites, sent videos of attack locations, and maintained contact with groups seeking to disrupt public order .
Iranian media reported multiple arrests in several regions on Sunday. The semi-official Tasnim news agency said that 20 people were arrested in northwestern Iran on accusations by the provincial prosecutor’s office of sending location details of Iran’s military and security assets to Israel . In northeastern Iran, Tasnim reported the arrest of 10 individuals, with some accused of collecting information on sensitive locations and economic infrastructure .
Radan specifically alleged that those detained were suspected of “spying for the enemy and hostile media,” including the London-based broadcaster Iran International, which Tehran designated a terrorist organization in 2022 .
The arrests come as Iran faces ongoing military strikes from the US and Israel, which began on Feb. 28 . Authorities have described the crackdown as part of efforts to dismantle espionage networks operating inside the country amid wartime conditions .
