Description: IRGC’s Commander for the Mazandaran province, Siavash Moslemi stated that a US – Israeli spy ring has been broken up through constant monitoring and various surveillance operations. The suspected individuals used trade companies and several charities as well as backgrounds as geological research scientists to infiltrate crucial Iranian infrastructure and gather intelligence. Iranian officials had yet to provide evidence to the claims as recent arrests also saw a British couple being accused of espionage and an Israeli individual arrested in Ardabil was also accused of espionage.
Impact: The disruption of the alleged espionage rings by Iranian authorities comes at the time of severely heightened geopolitical tensions in the region. The US and Israel recently threatened to annihilate Iranian nuclear capacities as the country was strengthening ties with Russia and China. Iran has suffered significant defeats as the attacks on high – level Hezbollah and Hamas commanders and military leaders were made possible by US and Israeli jointly provided intelligence efforts within the country. Iran evidently has ramped up counterintelligence operations, if the claims are to be believed, as the US and Israel would aim at further intelligence incursions to compromise Iran’s regional ambitions and to sabotage its nuclear agenda.