World News
Iran Executes Suspected Spies, Expands Espionage Laws After Ceasefire With Israel and US
Iran is pushing through sweeping legal reforms to toughen penalties for alleged collaboration with foreign governments, following the end of a brutal 12-day war with Israel and the United States. The conflict, which claimed over 600 lives in Iran, ended with a ceasefire on Monday but has triggered a wave of internal crackdowns.
In a national address on Tuesday night, President Masoud Pezeshkian declared a “historic victory,” vowing that attempts to divide the Iranian people would fail. Meanwhile, Iran’s parliament passed legislation to intensify punishment for espionage and cooperation with what it terms “hostile governments” primarily Israel and the US.
The new bill, approved on Monday, would broaden the legal definition of espionage and allow certain actions to be punished as “corruption on Earth,” a charge that carries the death penalty. The law targets intelligence sharing, financial transactions including those made with cryptocurrencies, and individuals connected to weapons or tools deemed capable of causing chaos.
Alireza Salimi, a senior parliamentary official, said the proposal would give security forces greater freedom to arrest and prosecute suspected collaborators. Judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir added that Iran’s current espionage laws are outdated and insufficient for the threats the country faces.
The crackdown has already led to a string of executions. On Wednesday, three men were executed in Urmia, accused of smuggling assassination equipment into Iran. The judiciary linked the case to the 2020 killing of nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, which Tehran blames on Israel. Since the war began on June 13, three other men have been executed for alleged espionage involving Israel.
Authorities report at least 700 arrests nationwide, with dozens of indictments already issued. Arrests include 115 in Kermanshah, 53 in Fars, and 36 in Gilan province. Prosecutors in Khuzestan announced charges against 23 people for “sabotage and propaganda” against the state.
International watchdog Amnesty International condemned the swift executions, warning that Iran is using the death penalty as a tool of fear and repression. The group also raised concerns about unfair trials and lack of due process.
Digital censorship is also escalating. Iranians have reported receiving warnings from the judiciary’s crime prevention department for following or engaging with pro-Israel social media pages. The message threatened punishment unless users removed supportive content and unfollowed such accounts.
Legislators are also clamping down on drone use, following reports that Israel deployed small explosive drones inside Iranian territory during the conflict. A new bill sets harsh penalties for owning unlicensed drones.
In a separate development, parliament approved a move to suspend cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), accusing the watchdog of complicity in US-Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Lawmakers shouted anti-American and anti-Israeli slogans during the vote and expressed support for withdrawing from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty if necessary.
According to US media, recent airstrikes failed to destroy Iran’s heavily fortified nuclear sites, frustrating President Donald Trump. The IAEA has since stated it does not know the current location of over 400 kilograms of Iran’s 60% enriched uranium, a stockpile close to weapons-grade material.
