ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Iranian intelligence forces have arrested 30 individuals across the country in the past days over alleged espionage for the US and Israel, describing one suspect as “a member of separatist groups” and another as “a foreign national,” allegedly involved in spying for Gulf countries, state media reported on Tuesday. 

Iran’s intelligence forces seized a communication and military shipment from what they described as “a member of a separatist terrorist group” in Kurdistan province, where the individual was arrested while transporting the materials, the state‑owned IRNA news agency reported. 

The report alleged that the shipment was intended to support US and Israeli plans against the country’s territorial integrity, noting that one accomplice was killed during the operation.

It also noted that among the arrested was “a foreign national” who was spying for two Gulf countries on behalf of the US and Israel, in Razavi Khorasan province. 

The report mostly accused the individuals of espionage, alleging many were acting as operational or media mercenaries for the US and Israel.

Documents obtained by The New Region show that, since the start of the war, the Iranian government has been warning citizens via text messages not to record or post videos of bombardments and missile strikes online. 

In the 12‑day war with Israel in June, Iranian authorities carried out a wave of arrests on alleged espionage charges and executed several men convicted of spying for Israel’s intelligence services.

The use of similar allegations to justify crackdowns has long been a pattern for Iran’s Islamic republic during times of unrest and war, particularly after the Jin Jiyan Azadi (Women Life Freedom) protests in September 2022 and the nationwide protests in January.