Iran accuses detained activist of propaganda in favor of Israel

According to the group, the five men — identified as Ali Ghasemi, Pejman Soltani, Kaveh Salehi, Rezgar Beikzadeh Babamiri and Tifur Salimi Babamiri — were arrested for participating in demonstrations in the cities of Bukan and Baneh during the Women, Life, Freedom protests, ignited over the death of a 22-year-old woman in police custody.

The rights group said eight others linked to the same case have received prison terms and fines.

KHRN alleged the court’s verdicts were based solely on intelligence ministry reports and confessions extracted during detention, with no independent or corroborating evidence presented during trial.

The group said the defendants were detained in April and May 2023 and held at the Urmia intelligence detention facility, where they were denied legal representation for much of the pre-trial process.

In a statement, Israel Police said: “The Shin Bet and the police emphasize: Iranian agents are trying to recruit Israelis on social media - any suspicious contact should be reported.”

In a paper for the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, Oded Ailam, a former head of Mossad’s counter terrorism unit, wrote: “Through aggressive mass campaigns on social media, thousands of Israelis are being approached."

"Messages like 'Want to earn some easy cash?' now pepper the digital landscape. No serious screening or background checks, just a Telegram or email message offering money for a 'simple task.' Track a senior figure. Snap a photo of a base. Willing to try? You’re in.”

The latest case is a 27-year-old Tel Aviv resident. Israel Police said he was arrested “on suspicion of carrying out tasks for an Iranian agent, including documenting the homes of elected officials and military bases - in exchange for payment in virtual currencies”.

A prosecutor's statement was filed against him on Monday.

Ailam said that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has discarded the slow, resource-heavy traditions of classical espionage.

“No more lengthy vetting, grueling training, or elaborate cover stories. Instead, they’ve embraced a model that’s raw, direct, and disturbingly effective. This is Iran’s version of digital marketing applied to espionage: blanket targeting, no filters."

“And like any marketing effort, only a tiny fraction need to respond for the campaign to succeed. To Tehran, even a one percent success rate from a thousand messages is worth it. It’s a chillingly rational approach: volume will eventually produce the quality they seek. And sadly, it works.”

Last year, Israel saw a 400% spike in alleged Iran-backed spy cases, arresting 27 Israeli citizens in 13 separate cases.

This year, cases continue, with plots including a planned attack on Defense Minister Israel Katz, believed to have been the 20th case since the start of the Gaza war.

In February, two army reservists were caught passing classified information on the country’s Iron Dome defense system to an Iranian operative.

In the capital, levels had reached 260 in the past 24 hours with other areas exceeding 300, entering the 'hazardous' category, the highest state of alert in the country's pollution indexes which range between zero and 500.

Health officials have advised people with existing medical conditions, children, and pregnant women to avoid outdoor exposure.

In neighboring Alborz province, conditions have worsened further. Kamran Haghi, acting head of the provincial meteorological office, confirmed that air quality in most areas had entered the hazardous category overnight.

“Pollution levels in parts of the province surpassed 300, and strong winds carrying dust will continue through the end of the week,” he said. He urged residents to keep windows shut and use filtered masks.

Mohammadreza Fallahnejad, acting director of Alborz’s crisis management office, linked the deterioration to low seasonal rainfall. “With reduced precipitation this year, the situation is intensifying each day,” he said.

The provincial environmental department has called on hospitals and emergency services to prepare for a rise in respiratory cases.

The recent dust affecting the country stems from both domestic and foreign sources, which operate independently of each other, said Behzad Raygani, acting secretary of the National Headquarters for Dust Storm Policy and Coordination, as reported by Tasnim.

“Part of this dust has entered from Syria and parts of Iraq, impacting our western provinces and parts of the central region. These sources have become particularly active in Syria,” he added.

“Aside from the western half and parts of central Iran, most provinces are dealing with dust due to internal and local sources.”

“The Telegraph understands the findings will conclude that Iran remains one of the biggest state-based threats to the UK, in the same bracket as China and Russia,” the article said ahead of the release of the Intelligence and Security Committee’s report, based on classified intelligence and interviews with British agencies.

Ken McCallum, the director-general of British intelligence service MI5, last year revealed the extent of Iranian threats on UK soil.

“Since January 2022, with police partners, we have responded to 20 Iran-backed plots presenting potentially lethal threats to British citizens and UK residents," he said.

He warned that “Iranian state actors make extensive use of criminals as proxies—from international drug traffickers to low-level crooks.”

The upcoming report, signed off by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, will also detail cyber attacks against UK companies and threats against journalists. “Those familiar with the report’s contents expect it to be a wake-up call for ministers about the persistent threat of Iran and its ability to act within the UK,” the Telegraph added.

‘Surveillance and soft power’ in Italy

Meanwhile, Italy’s Linkiesta published the findings of a months-long investigation into the Islamic Republic's influence network.

“There is a silent Iran that runs through the meshes of Italian society, not the one in war chronicles or official press releases, but an Iran that acts under the radar," the outlet wrote.

They called the Cultural Center of the Iranian Embassy in Rome "an operational hub that coordinates events, conferences and exhibitions with specific political purposes: building consensus around the regime and promoting an image of Iran as a spiritual, anti-imperialist and tolerant state".

The investigation found that since 2009, Iranian investments in academic programs across Italy have exceeded one million euros. These include joint centers and exchange agreements with universities in Rome, Milan, Florence, and Turin.

Iranian religious centers in Rome and Milan have hosted events commemorating Hezbollah leaders and promoting Tehran’s political ideology.

Testimonies from Iranian dissidents in Italy have also revealed the ongoing targeting of Iranians abroad. One woman said: “After some protests in Rome, I was followed for days and my family members in Iran were subjected to house searches. They begged me to stop supporting the movements against the regime."

Another activist said: “Once, during a sit-in, an official from the Iranian embassy approached us and said: ‘We are monitoring you, and your loved ones back home will cry."

According to Linkiesta, a dedicated unit of 15 to 20 operatives inside the Iranian embassy in Rome oversees three areas: cyber surveillance, field monitoring, and intelligence reporting to Tehran. The unit works closely with Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and the Revolutionary Guard’s foreign branches.

According to Bild, the 53-year-old suspect, identified as Ali S., entered Iran in June 2025 under the cover of a family trip to Turkey.

He allegedly delivered surveillance photos, videos, and detailed information about potential targets in Berlin to a Quds Force officer in Tehran. He then left Iran using forged documents, avoiding any entry or exit stamps in his Danish passport.

The intelligence, Bild reported, included back entrances, security patrols, and suggested locations for placing incendiary devices or explosives. German authorities now believe he was planning or facilitating attacks on Jewish institutions in Germany.

According to the report, Ali S. had traveled to Berlin between June 4 and 6 with his wife and children, during which time German intelligence monitored him closely.

Bild said investigators observed him photographing at least ten sites, including the German-Israeli Society, the office of Josef Schuster—head of the Central Council of Jews in Germany—an Israeli restaurant, and a kosher supermarket near Kurfürstendamm.

Danish intelligence services first flagged the suspect after intercepting online messages between him and a known Quds Force officer.

German authorities then launched full surveillance and bugged his residence in Aarhus. After returning from Iran on June 23, he told his family he had handed over the intelligence to his handler in Tehran—information captured through wiretaps, according to Bild.

Germany’s Federal Prosecutor Jens Rommel issued an arrest warrant on June 24, saying Ali S. is “strongly suspected of working for a foreign intelligence service.” He now faces charges of espionage and planning attacks in Germany.

Bild report said the case is considered one of the most significant discoveries of Iranian intelligence activity on German soil in recent years.