Iranian authorities are intensifying efforts to punish cooperation with foreign governments following a 12-day war with Israel and the United States that ended with a ceasefire on Monday. President Masoud Pezeshkian declared a “historic victory” and assured that plans to sow discord among Iranians would fail.
The Iranian parliament has approved a plan to “intensify punishment for espionage and collaborators with the Zionist regime [Israel] and hostile countries against national security and interests”.
According to Alireza Salimi, a member of the parliament’s presiding board, any intelligence or espionage activity favoring Israel or the US could be considered “corruption on Earth,” a crime punishable by death. This legislation also targets individuals linked to weapons capable of causing chaos and terror, as well as those receiving money, property, or cryptocurrencies for services to hostile states.
Asghar Jahangir, the Iranian judiciary spokesperson, emphasized that the current law on espionage is too general and might not cover the types of espionage Iran currently faces. He noted that the law would cause “restrictions and limitations” for authorities punishing those arrested during the war with Israel.
In Urmia, northwest Iran, authorities executed three individuals for collaborating with Israel, convicting them of moharebeh (“waging war against God”) and corruption on Earth. These executions are believed to be linked to the killing of nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh in November 2020 by Israel. Since the war began on June 13, Iran has executed three other men for spying for Israel.
Over 600 people were killed in Israeli attacks, and at least 700 arrests were made across the country during the 12-day conflict. Authorities continue to announce more arrests daily. Amir Kholfian, the prosecutor general of Khuzestan province, stated that indictments were issued against 23 people for “sabotage acts,” including propaganda against the Islamic Republic.
Iranian authorities are also targeting online activity that supports Israel or the US. Some Iranians have received text messages warning them to remove supportive comments and likes on pages affiliated with Israel or face punishment. The parliament has approved a plan to set punishments for owning unlicensed drones, following Israel’s extensive use of drones to hit Iranian targets.
Lawmakers have emphatically approved a plan to suspend cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which Iranian authorities claim facilitated US and Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf vowed that the country will advance its nuclear program stronger and faster than before. Members of parliament have also expressed support for leaving the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) if the Supreme National Security Council chooses to do so.
The IAEA has reported that it is unaware of the location of Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium, including over 408kg of high-enriched 60 percent uranium. US military strikes failed to destroy Iranian nuclear facilities buried deep in the mountains, angering US President Donald Trump.