Iran has detained numerous individuals suspected of serving as informants for Israel

Local media reported on Sunday that numerous individuals have been arrested in various regions of Iran, accused of sharing sensitive information with Israel, as Israeli and U.S. fighter jets persist in targeting new locations within the country.

In northwestern Iran, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday that 20 individuals were arrested based on accusations from the provincial prosecutor’s office regarding the transmission of location details concerning Iran’s military and security assets to Israel.

In northeastern Iran, which has largely avoided air strikes, Tasnim reported the arrest of 10 individuals on Sunday, with some facing accusations of gathering information on sensitive sites and economic infrastructure. “As the Zionist enemy (Israel) and the U.S. seek to invade Iran, they are concurrently deploying mercenaries and spies to instigate riots as the next phase,” stated a provincial branch of the Revolutionary Guards’ intelligence organization, according to Tasnim.

The Student News Network reported on Sunday that three individuals were detained in the western province of Lorestan for “seeking to disturb public opinion (…) and burn mourning symbols.”

Israel has initiated the targeting of security checkpoints, acting on information provided by informants on the ground. This marks a new phase in its offensive against Iran, according to a source familiar with Israel’s military strategy who spoke to Reuters this week.

In January, just weeks before the U.S. and Israel initiated the current conflict with Iran, extensive anti-government protests erupted in Iran, which were met with a brutal crackdown, marking the deadliest response in the history of the Islamic Republic.

Officials attributed the “violent riots” aimed at toppling the clerical establishment to Israel and the U.S.