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The legislation, formally titled the “Intensification of Punishment for Espionage and Cooperation with the Zionist Regime and Hostile States Against National Security and Interests,” was passed by parliament in late June following the 12-day war between Iran and Israel.
The Guardian Council, a powerful 12-member body of clerics and jurists that vets legislation and elections in Iran, initially sent the bill back in July citing ambiguities, but said after revisions it no longer conflicted with Islamic law or the constitution.
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The measure classifies espionage or intelligence cooperation with Israel and the US as “corruption on earth,” a charge under Iran’s penal code that can carry the death penalty.
It also criminalizes providing information, media content or assistance to groups deemed hostile, with prison sentences ranging from two to 15 years depending on the offense.
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Supporters say the law is needed to counter infiltration and disinformation. “Any cooperation in media or propaganda activity, including sending videos or images to hostile channels that weaken public morale or create division, undermines national security and will face severe judicial response,” said Ebrahim Azizi, a former Revolutionary Guards commander and head of parliament’s national security committee.
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The bill follows the June conflict in which Israeli airstrikes targeted Iranian nuclear and missile sites, prompting Tehran to retaliate with hundreds of missile and drone launches.
Iranian authorities later announced the arrest of hundreds of people accused of spying for Israel and the US.
Rights advocates have expressed concern that the law’s broad definitions, including provisions applying retroactively, could restrict free expression and be used against journalists and activists.
Ali Saeedi, head of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s political-ideological office, said on Wednesday that there were differing views on whether Israel might launch another attack on Iran.
“Some say the enemy may commit another madness, while others believe Israel’s internal turmoil prevents it from taking action,” he told ILNA.
Saeedi added that while “the armed forces must be 100% ready,” ordinary people should “continue with their lives and not be agitated.”
He said Iran had seen “no signs of an enemy attack” at present.
Iran’s currency fell to a record low in Tehran’s unofficial market on Wednesday, days after the reimposition of UN snapback sanctions, trading at about 1,151,000 rials per US dollar.
The euro stood at 1,352,200 rials and the pound at 1,548,300, according to local exchange rates.
Iran’s government will approve a response plan on Sunday to the reimposition of UN snapback sanctions, state media quoted spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani as saying.
She told reporters after Wednesday’s cabinet meeting that the plan assigns specific tasks to each ministry “to minimize pressure on people’s lives.”
Mohajerani said Tehran had sought to avert the measure through diplomacy, including a last-minute proposal to delay the sanctions by 45 days, but the effort was blocked by what she described as lobbying pressure on European powers.
She added that Tehran had expressed readiness to hold a meeting in New York with Britain, France, Germany, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, but that “the proposal was not accepted or the counterparts did not attend.”
She added that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi briefed the cabinet on his New York visit, saying Iran’s push to scrap or delay the snapback failed after Western rejection of its proposals.
