Episode 2 of the IranWatch Podcast Out Now!

Under the Islamic Republic, people receive privileges based on their proximity and loyalty to the regime. Access to the internet is no exception. Andrew Ghalili and Khosro Isfahani discuss this in the latest episode of IranWatch Podcast. Watch or listen on Youtube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get your podcasts!

NUFDI Report on Persecution of Religious Minorities

Humiliated by the 12-Day War, the Islamic Republic has turned its gaze inward, cracking down on Iranians within the country, particularly religious minorities. NUFDI’s latest report, Faith Under Siege, documents the Islamic Republic’s campaign, profiling dozens of Christians, Jews, Baha’is, and Sunnis who have been targeted in the course of this crackdown.

Tehran Claims It Arrested 2,000 ‘Enemy Agents’ Prior to 12-Day War

Spokesman of the Armed Forces Abolfazl Shekarchi has claimed that Islamic Republic security forces arrested “around 2,000 enemy agents” in the months leading up to and during the 12-Day War with Israel in June. Speaking at a meeting of the Islamic Association of Independent Students at Sharif University in Tehran, Shekarchi said an “extensive network of spies and enemy agents” had been built over several years, with significant resources invested in their training and organization. Shekarchi said the arrests were made due to the “existing readiness” of the regime’s security and intelligence apparatus, arguing that rebuilding such a network would be difficult, time-consuming, and costly for the Islamic Republic’s adversaries. His comments come amid an intensified security crackdown following the conflict, during which authorities have publicized waves of arrests and executions on shaky “espionage” charges. The Islamic Republic has executed at least nine individuals accused of spying for Israel since the 12-Day War.

On the Radar

A judiciary official in Sistan-Baluchestan Province denied reports of a “terrorist attack” on a courthouse in Zahedan, saying the city was calm and that the reports were rehashing news from an incident in July. Provincial judiciary head Ali Movahhedirad warned that those spreading “false and fake news” would face legal action, after several outlets briefly published the claims before removing them. The July attack, later claimed by Sunni armed group Jaish al-Adl, killed six people and wounded 13. Sistan-Baluchestan Province has seen persistent unrest linked to militant activity, with Jaish al-Adl recently announcing a merger into a new “People’s Resistance Front” this month.
The IRGC arrested an individual in Qarchak, Tehran Province, accusing them of “anti-security activities” and links to “foreign-based groups.” The local prosecutor’s office said IRGC intelligence officers carried out the arrest, stressing that security is the judiciary’s “red line,” but provided no details on the suspect or alleged activities.