Iran investigates 20 arrested over alleged links with Israel

Iran’s judiciary has initiated an investigation into the cases of 20 individuals arrested in connection with alleged links to Israel following the recent 12-day war between the two nations.

Judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir addressed reporters in Tehran on Saturday, August 9, revealing that these cases were promptly filed under the supervision of esteemed investigators and are currently being investigated. Further details will be released as the investigation progresses.

In late July, Iran’s intelligence agency reported the identification and detention of “20 spies, Mossad operational and support agents, and individuals affiliated with the regime’s intelligence officers in Tehran and several other provinces.”

These arrests occurred weeks after Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign against Iran in mid-June, resulting in the deaths of senior military commanders, nuclear scientists, and numerous others. The strikes targeted military and nuclear facilities as well as residential areas, prompting Iran to retaliate with missile and drone attacks.

Iran has committed to swift trials for those accused of collaborating with Israel. Jahangir emphasized that the judicial system will not show any mercy in dealing with spies and Zionist agents, serving as a deterrent to all spies through firm rulings.

On Wednesday, August 6, Iranian authorities executed Roozbeh Vadi, who had been convicted of spying for Israel by passing information about Iranian nuclear sites and scientists. According to the Fars news agency, Vadi worked at the Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute, a subsidiary of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran.

Iranian media also published a screenshot of an academic paper co-authored by Vadi alongside two nuclear scientists, Ahmad Zolfaghar and Abdolhamid Minouchehr, who tragically lost their lives during the conflict.