Iran arrested 700 ‘mercenaries’ working for Israel

Iranian authorities have arrested 700 people accused of being “mercenaries of Israel” throughout its 12-day conflict, state-affiliated Fars News Agency reported Wednesday.

“The mercenaries, who mainly operated in the framework of espionage and sabotage networks, were identified and arrested based on public reports and intelligence operations,” the report reads.

Israel’s spy agency Mossad has acknowledged the role of its undercover personnel working in Iran as part of Operation Rising Lion, which began with unprecedented strikes on Iran on June 13.

Mossad provided footage of its covert agents working behind Iranian lines in the lead-up to the strikes, work that included setting up a base to launch drones at targets from inside Iran.

The actions sparked paranoia within the Iranian government and security apparatus, which arrested scores of people it accuses of sharing articles online in support of Israel, accusing them of disrupting the “psychological security of society.”

A new unit within the Tehran prosecutor’s office was established during the conflict to monitor Iranian news outlets and personal social media accounts.

The arrests of Israeli agents have been made across Iran, according to Fars, including in Kermanshah, Isfahan, Khuzestan, Fars, and Lorestan provinces. Authorities have not yet published details on the number of alleged Israeli spies arrested in the capital Tehran, the outlet reported.

Other Iranian news outlets have reported multiple executions of alleged Israeli agents carried out since the conflict began.

CNN has contacted the Israeli government to ask for confirmation of the reported arrests and executions.

Source: CNN live updates