TEHRAN: Iran’s intelligence minister said on Tuesday that “dozens of spies” had been arrested as part of a crackdown on espionage and dual nationals.
“Financially and through other means, our enemies try to get information on our country,” Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi said in an interview on state television.
“They act by spying and infiltration. Fortunately the anti-espionage section is one of the strongest sections of this ministry.”
He did not provide details on the “dozens of spies,” or over what period they were arrested.
He said there was also a concerted effort to root out dual nationals working in official positions.
“If you know anyone, tell us about them,” he said.
Alavi spoke of the threat from the extremists of the Daesh group, which sees Shiite Iran as one of its main enemies in the region.
He said 230 “terrorist cells” had been intercepted over the past year.
“We foiled plots on places such as universities and the metro but we published little information about this,” Alavi said.
Daesh carried out a multi-pronged attack on Iran’s parliament and the shrine of revolutionary leader Ruhollah Khomeini in June 2017 that killed 17 people.
Alavi also covered the crackdown on corruption and those manipulating Iran’s chaotic currency rates, which have been a major focus of discontent in recent months.
“If we want to have a dynamic economy, we must fight economic corruption. In the intelligence ministry, we have opened 130 files and more than 180 suspects have been arrested,” he said.
Iran has arrested ‘dozens of spies’: Intelligence minister
Iran has arrested ‘dozens of spies’: Intelligence minister
- Alavi spoke of the threat from the extremists of the Daesh group
- Alavi also covered the crackdown on corruption and those manipulating Iran’s chaotic currency rates
Israel police to deploy around Al-Aqsa for Ramadan, Palestinians report curbs
- The Al-Aqsa compound is a central symbol of Palestinian identity and also a frequent flashpoint
JERUSALEM: Israeli police said Monday that they would deploy in force around the Al-Aqsa Mosque during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins this week, as Palestinian officials accused Israel of imposing restrictions at the compound.
Over the course of the month of fasting and prayer, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians traditionally attend prayers at Al-Aqsa — Islam’s third-holiest site, located in east Jerusalem, which Israel captured in 1967 and later annexed.
Arad Braverman, a senior Jerusalem police officer, said forces would be deployed “day and night” across the compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, and in the surrounding area.
He said thousands of police would also be on duty for Friday prayers, which draw the largest crowds of Muslim worshippers.
Braverman said police had recommended issuing 10,000 permits for Palestinians from the occupied West Bank, who require special permission to enter Jerusalem.
He did not say whether age limits would apply, adding that the final number of people would be decided by the government.
The Palestinian Jerusalem Governorate said in a separate statement it had been informed that permits would again be restricted to men over 55 and women over 50, mirroring last year’s criteria.
It said Israeli authorities had blocked the Islamic Waqf — the Jordanian?run body administering the site — from carrying out routine preparations, including installing shade structures and setting up temporary medical clinics.
A Waqf source confirmed the restrictions and said 33 of its employees had been barred from entering the compound in the week before Ramadan.
The Al-Aqsa compound is a central symbol of Palestinian identity and also a frequent flashpoint.
Under long?standing arrangements, Jews may visit the compound — which they revere as the site of their second temple, destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD — but they are not permitted to pray there.
Israel says it is committed to maintaining this status quo, though Palestinians fear it is being eroded.
Braverman reiterated Monday that no changes were planned.
In recent years, a growing number of Jewish ultranationalists have challenged the prayer ban, including far?right politician Itamar Ben-Gvir, who prayed at the site while serving as national security minister in 2024 and 2025.
