Iran arrests 20 alleged Mossad operatives

Iran says it has arrested 20 people it accuses of working for Mossad, signaling a hard line as tensions with Israel rise.

Iran arrests 20 alleged Mossad operatives and vows no leniency

Iran says it has arrested 20 people it accuses of working for Mossad in recent months, Tehran’s judiciary said on Saturday and warned they will face no leniency. Some charges were dropped and those suspects were released, though the total number released was not disclosed.

On Wednesday, Iran executed Rouzbeh Vadi, a nuclear scientist, who was convicted of spying for Israel and passing along information about another scientist killed in an Israeli air strike in June. Judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangiri told reporters that full details would be made public once investigations finish. The state media report noted that executions of Iranians convicted of spying for Israel have risen this year.

The case comes after a mid-June Israeli bombing campaign against Iran, followed by Iranian missile and drone strikes. Israel has said its actions targeted Iran’s military leaders, nuclear scientists, and related sites to prevent Tehran from building a nuclear weapon, while not commenting publicly on the allegations of spying. The broader exchange in recent months has in turn fed a cycle of arrests and rhetoric on both sides.

The statements fit a pattern of hard-line messaging in the security war between Tehran and Jerusalem. By naming a spy network and promising harsh sentences, Iran signals it will use legal channels to deter or punish suspected collaborators. Yet the lack of public evidence and the absence of transparent trials raise questions about due process and accountability in a high-stakes security drive.

Above all, the moves risk widening the conflict. Public executions and televised arrests can deepen distrust and invite retaliation or new sanctions. Observers should watch for how Tehran presents new charges and what details eventually emerge, and for whether Israel refrains from comment or responds with its own measures. The coming weeks will reveal how durable this phase of escalation is and what it means for regional stability.

Highlights

The region watches how far rhetoric will travel in a high-stakes security struggle.