Shaken by the extent of the Israeli strikes this month, Iran is carrying out a large campaign of hunting against infiltrates and alleged spies, mobilizing the population in this operation, reported The New York Times. The authorities arrested hundreds of people, accelerated the trials and executions of alleged spies, and urgently adopted a law expanding the use of the death penalty for espionage.
This massive repression, which continues even after the ceasefire last week, arouses fears that it does not become a new purge against political opponents, in the repressive tradition of the regime.
Iranian paranoia is not unfounded. Israel has historically succeeded in infiltrating Iran to collect information and eliminations and sabotage. During the recent conflict, Jerusalem demonstrated its capacity to constitute networks and launching attacks from inside Iranian territory.
The Iranian authorities bring back several clues pointing to Mossad: Israeli missiles assembled and deployed in the country, and the discovery of thousands of mini attacks in Tehran. These soil operators used hideouts to assemble missiles and drones, then secretly transported them.
Disproportionate repression
Despite the relative understanding of Iranians in the face of security concerns, human rights organizations denounce a campaign affecting ethnic and religious minorities disproportionately, opponents and foreigners. Amnesty International condemns “roughly inequitable” trials and executions, describing these actions as “poorly advised attempt to project force”. Many arrests have been made without mandates, the prisoners being deprived of access to lawyers.
Iran now mobilizes the population, publishing opinions on social networks with caricatures of saboteurs, to identify these clandestine cells.
