Iran Accelerates Espionage Prosecutions Amid Post-War Security Fears

Iranian authorities have accelerated national security prosecutions since the 2025 war with Israel, resulting in mass arrests, expedited trials, and a rise in executions. Judiciary spokesman Ali Kazemi stated in early October that active cases involve at least 1,895 individuals accused of cooperating with Israel or other hostile states. Among these defendants are 94 media workers. Police previously reported at least 21,000 arrests following the June 2025 conflict, while at least 50,000 people were detained during the January 2026 protests.

The crackdown targets a wide range of individuals, including alleged spies, protesters, journalists, lawyers, and ethnic minorities. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have documented coerced confessions and the denial of effective legal defense in these cases. The United Nations reported that at least 19 people were hanged in espionage-related cases between June and December 2025. Iran Human Rights recorded 16 espionage defendants executed from January to September 2026. Amnesty also reported at least 34 executions linked to the January protests by October 13.

Security experts argue that while intelligence weaknesses are real, the state is leveraging espionage fears to suppress dissent. Saeid Golkar, an associate professor of political science at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, noted that the killing of senior figures, including former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on February 28 proved the threat of infiltration is genuine. However, he said the government uses both legitimate counterintelligence concerns and perceived threats to justify repression. Golkar described the current situation as a wider effort to intimidate society.

Recent statements from former Mossad director David Barnea have intensified Iranian suspicions. Speaking at a conference in Israel on October 22, Barnea said he approved the entry of dozens of agents into Iran in the weeks before the 12-day war of June 2025. He claimed that some agents remained in Tehran living ordinary lives. Barnea stated that Israeli intelligence deliberately released footage of agents bearing a Mossad logo shortly after the war began. This move led to thousands of arrests of people with no connection to the service, a tactic used to protect real agents. He claimed almost all of the agency's assets remained unidentified.

Communication rules have hardened under the new security regime. Sending images or information to networks deemed hostile, such as BBC Persian, can result in 10 to 15 years in prison. Combined with other offenses, these actions can lead to corruption on Earth charges, which carry the death penalty. Authorities have labeled Starlink a tool of war and attempted to confiscate or jam terminals smuggled into the country. Iran imposed a near-total internet shutdown for 90 million people for several days during the 12-day war. The shutdown lasted 20 days during the January protests and 88 days at the start of the current war.

Negar Mortazavi, a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy, agreed that Tehran has legitimate concerns about infiltration. However, she stressed that there is a fundamental distinction between espionage and dissent. She noted that criticizing the government or engaging with foreign media does not amount to espionage, yet authorities have increasingly blurred the two categories. Golkar offered a similar assessment, arguing that counterespionage has become a tool to protect the ruling establishment. He said the Islamic republic has become a security-dominated regime that treats nonviolent dissent as a threat to its survival.