Tehran [Iran], April 15 (ANI): Iranian authorities have claimed the arrest of 35 individuals on charges ranging from espionage to illegal trafficking. According to Iranian state media, the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), the group includes suspects described by the Intelligence Ministry as being “Mossad-linked,” along with arms smugglers and affiliates of separatist organizations.
The ministry said the arrests were carried out across six provinces as part of a broad security operation targeting multiple threats to national security.
These developments come amid heightened concerns over foreign intelligence activity inside Iran. Mossad Director David Barnea recently stated that the agency had operated “in the heart of Tehran” during the recent military campaign involving the United States and Israel.
As reported by The Times of Israel, Barnea made the remarks on Tuesday during a ceremony marking Holocaust Remembrance Day, highlighting the depth of covert operations within Iranian territory.
The intelligence chief further detailed the agency’s role in facilitating military action, saying it provided critical intelligence support.
“We brought precise intelligence to the Air Force, and we hit missiles that threatened Israel,” he said, linking intelligence gathering to strikes on Iranian assets.
Despite the conclusion of major hostilities, Barnea indicated that operations are ongoing and extend beyond the recent conflict.
“But our mission has yet to be completed,” he said. “We didn’t think that this mission would be completed immediately with the end of the battles. But we planned intensively for our campaign to continue and achieve results even in the period after the strikes in Tehran.”
Barnea also outlined the long-term objective of the agency, stating that its mission would conclude “only when this radical regime is replaced.”
According to The Times of Israel, he explicitly linked the agency’s goals to the removal of Iran’s current leadership, saying, “Regime change in Iran is our mission. We will not stand by, watching, in the face of another existential threat.” (ANI)
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