Iran Detains 127 Allegedly Affiliated with US, UK, Israel

(MENAFN) Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has detained at least 127 individuals across the country, accusing them of ties to the UK, US, and Israel, and alleging they were "preparing the groundwork for a military attack by the enemy."

Media, citing semi-official sources, reported that seven suspects were apprehended in East Azerbaijan province, where authorities alleged they "were preparing weapons and planning sabotage activities, while also sending coordinates of sensitive sites to their contact abroad."

The sweep extended further across the country — 69 individuals were taken into custody in Mazandaran province, while Kerman province saw an additional 51 arrests, among them members of three alleged "espionage teams," according to media.

The mass detentions come in the wake of a sharp escalation in Tehran's crackdown on suspected foreign agents following the US-Israeli war on Iran that began Feb. 28 — a conflict that has since claimed more than 3,000 lives. Dozens have already been detained on espionage-related charges since hostilities erupted.

The legal stakes for those arrested could not be higher. A recently toughened espionage law now empowers Iranian authorities to impose the death penalty on individuals convicted of spying, while also permitting the state to seize their assets.

No independent verification of the IRGC's claims has been made available.

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