Senior Iranian officials highlighted what they called intelligence successes and the urgency of backing armed groups against their arch-foe Israel on Wednesday, a day after Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei delivered a defiant speech.
Esmael Khatib, Iran’s intelligence minister, announced that Iranian operatives had penetrated Israeli intelligence circles and stolen significant data, without citing any evidence.
“Westerners and regime officials admit Iran’s influence within the Zionist regime. The arrest of their citizens and members has been publicized, and acknowledging Iran’s penetration and power is a great blessing … documents stolen from this regime and valuable intelligence obtained are additional blessings,” Khatib was cited as saying by Tasnim News.
Following Israel’s 12-day strike in June, Iran cracked down on networks it claimed were linked to Israel, arresting about 700 alleged Mossad collaborators and executing 6 people for espionage. Israel also charged several of its citizens with spying for Iran.
Khatib praised Iran’s domestic response during the conflict, saying it showcased national unity.
“Many may have made mistakes in their political lives, but their presence, solidarity, and empathy with the people during this 12-day war is another impactful factor that should be encouraged by officials,” he said.
Khamenei, Iran's ultimate decision-maker, delivered a rare televised speech on Tuesday in which he ruled out talks with the United States and emphasized a hard line against what he described as Israeli and American threats.
Concessions to Washington, he said, would mean "Iran’s hands should be so tied that if it were attacked, it could not even respond to the US bases.” Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, Khamenei added, is a "treasure" and should not be counted out.
Support for proxy groups
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf emphasized Tehran’s commitment to supporting allied groups such as Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah, saying they defend Iran’s security interests.
“Our support for these groups defends Iran’s national security and interests. After Operation True Promise 3, the enemy knows that if we don’t stand against the Zionist regime in the Golan, it will advance to Julula in Iraqi Kurdistan, 30 kilometers from Iran’s border,” Ghalibaf was quoted as saying by Revolutionary Guards-linked Tasnim.
“Operation True Promise 3” was Iran’s retaliatory campaign against Israel during the 12-day war, involving multiple waves of ballistic missiles and drone strikes on Israeli targets.
Israeli attacks in the surprise campaign killed nuclear scientists along with hundreds civilians and military personnel. Iranian counterattacks killed 31 Israeli civilians and an off-duty soldier.
Ghalibaf also pointed to challenges in Syria and Iraq, saying Iran remains focused on those fronts.
“Defending the Islamic world, regional security, and human rights requires us to defend ourselves in the Golan, which is why we support resistance groups,” he said.
Addressing Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel, Ghalibaf stressed that the operation was planned solely by Hamas.
“There was no mistake in Hamas’s October 7 strategy. The legitimacy and righteousness of the resistance remain intact. The decision was entirely Hamas’s, and neither the Islamic Republic of Iran nor Hezbollah in Lebanon were aware of the operation’s details,” he said.
Israel is currently continuing its military campaign in Gaza and has demanded the release of all hostages as a condition for halting the offensive.
Satellite images reviewed by AP show construction at missile sites in Parchin and Shahroud, where buildings housing mixers appear under repair.
“If they’re able to reacquire some key things like planetary mixers, then that infrastructure is still there and ready to get rolling again,” said Sam Lair of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies.
Solid-fuel missiles are central to Iran’s deterrence strategy after Israeli strikes decimated much of its air defense.
Iran operates solid-fuel missile production facilities at Khojir and Parchin, both near Tehran, as well as at Shahroud, about 350 kilometers (215 miles) northeast of the capital. All three sites were struck by Israel in October 2024, during earlier hostilities between the two countries.
Experts say the June strikes appeared designed to destroy buildings housing mixers, the machines essential for evenly combining missile fuel.
Iran had been producing more than 200 solid-fuel missiles a month before the war, according to AP.
Iran fired more than 570 ballistic missiles during the conflict, depleting an estimated third of its arsenal, according to the Jewish Institute for National Security of America.
Western officials believe Tehran could try to source mixers and propellant chemicals from China, which has previously supplied materials for Iran’s missile program. Beijing said it supports Iran’s sovereignty but voiced “deep concern” over rising regional tensions.
Iran’s Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh said last month the country was now focused on producing “military equipment with higher precision and greater operational capabilities.”
Lindsay and Craig Foreman, from East Sussex, were arrested during a motorcycle world tour and accused of spying -- allegations they deny. Their son, Joe Bennett, said the pair were enduring “survival conditions” and urged the UK government to act.
The BBC reported that the couple’s family said they were “in the dark” about the upcoming court appearance, with their son confirming they had only been told the pair were due in court on Saturday.
“The systematic harassment and violations must stop. They need real, tangible support for their court appearances and to ensure proper medical attention, regular family contact and the urgent securing of their release,” Bennett said in a statement.
Rights groups and a source familiar with the case have alleged the couple were held in solitary confinement, beaten and threatened with execution by Iranian intelligence agents seeking forced confessions.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said it was “deeply concerned” and continued to raise the case with Iranian authorities.
Britain has repeatedly rejected Tehran’s charges and pressed for the couple’s release. Western governments and rights organizations say Iran has a history of detaining foreign nationals as leverage in disputes, an accusation Tehran denies.