In recent days, Iran announced that since June 13 it has arrested around 700 “Israeli agents,” but an investigation published by France24 raises serious doubts about the credibility of the information, primarily due to a series of images that appear staged, contradicting Tehran’s official statements.
Dramatic Declarations, Ridiculous Evidence
According to Iranian media reports, the detainees are citizens allegedly recruited by Mossad to carry out attacks, conduct espionage, plant explosives, and launch drones. The investigation found significant discrepancies between the claims and the materials actually presented.
One of the most striking examples involves an Iranian report claiming the capture of 402 “Israeli” drones in Hormozgan Province. However, the central image circulated by state media turned out to be an archived AP photo taken in Ukraine in May. The drones in the photo are clearly Ukrainian military equipment used in the war against Russia.
Another report featured images of consumer drones on cardboard shelves, all common commercial models incapable of carrying explosive payloads. Additionally, weapons showcased as a “Misagh-3” anti-aircraft launcher and a “Shahin-1” attack drone were all manufactured in Iran, supplemented with Chinese and Yugoslav bombs stored in the Iranian army’s warehouses.
Executions Based on Flimsy Evidence
Alongside the statements, Iranian authorities reported six executions—three of them Kurdish and three others whose identities were published online. Authorities claimed some were convicted in 2023 of smuggling equipment for Israel, but provided no evidence. The “confessions” of six men in prison uniforms aired on television offered at most vague claims of recruitment through social media, with no direct connection to any Israeli systems.
New Accusation: “Afghans Cooperating with Mossad”
Meanwhile, Tehran has also pointed fingers at the Afghan immigrant community. At least five Afghan nationals were arrested in recent days and accused of serving as Israeli agents. Some were seen “confessing” on television to plotting the bombing of a power plant in southern Tehran, but the French investigation found no substantiation of any Mossad link.
It is worth noting that Iranian authorities have announced the immediate deportation of illegal immigrants and imposed harsh penalties on renting apartments to Afghans. This marks a dramatic escalation against a population of 5–8 million Afghan citizens currently living in Iran.
Investigation’s Conclusion: An Attempt to Cover Up Failure
The reports of massive espionage networks are, according to France24, an attempt to mask what is defined as a severe intelligence failure by the Islamic Republic. The Israeli operation that lasted 12 days and resulted in the elimination of at least 30 senior officers in the army and the Revolutionary Guards was made possible by deep intelligence infiltration, likely involving local agents operated from within. However, Iran has yet to produce evidence that these agents were indeed caught or that their tools were seized.
The conclusion is clear: not only does the presented evidence fail to support Iran’s claims, but in most cases, it is demonstrably false. The accusations appear to be a blatant attempt to regain narrative control after the severe blow to the regime’s security apparatus.
