ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Wednesday claimed to have dismantled multiple espionage networks, allegedly linked with countries that Tehran deems as “adversaries”, including the US and Israel.

The IRGC said that the groups, operating in Iran’s northern Mazandaran province, had used foreign nationals and frequent travelers to infiltrate the country, but stressed that they have been “successfully identified and dismantled.”

“Many of these agents were operating under the guise of commercial companies, cultural centers, and charities, seeking to collect classified data or establish influence networks within Iran,” said Siavash Moslemi, IRGC commander of Mazandaran province.

“These operations not only neutralized major security threats but also prevented potential crises,” he added.

Iran frequently detains dual and foreign nationals on charges of espionage for foreign governments. Human rights watchdogs have accused Tehran of engaging in “hostage diplomacy” and using the prisoners as bargaining chips with its rivals.

In January 2023, Iran executed British-Iranian dual national Alireza Akbari on charges of espionage. His execution sparked outrage among Western nations, with UK’s then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak describing it as a “callous and cowardly act, carried out by a barbaric regime.”

The Iranian judiciary's Mizan Online on Tuesday announced that Craig and Lindsay Foreman, a British couple who were arrested in Iran in January, have been charged with espionage, and claimed that their links to Western intelligence services have been “confirmed”.