ANKARA/ISTANBUL

Iran announced Wednesday the arrest of a large number of people in Tehran, Arak and Khorramabad provinces on charges of cooperating with Israel.

According to a statement issued by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as reported by the semi-official Iranian news agency Tasnim,

"A large number of agents and mercenaries linked to Israel were identified and arrested" in Arak province, the semi-official Iranian news agency Tasnim reported, citing a statement issued by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

A separate statement from Baharestan county in Tehran reported the uncovering of a team spying for the Israeli Mossad, stating they were arrested "before carrying out any acts of sabotage."

The statement also noted the arrest of a foreign university student in a raid in Tehran’s Rey district, where files related to drone training and bomb-making were found on his phone.

Iranian media also reported the arrest of a doctor and his son in Khorramabad Province on charges of espionage, with approximately 300 small drones confiscated from their home.

Regional tensions have escalated since Friday, when Israel launched airstrikes on multiple sites across Iran, including military and nuclear facilities, prompting Tehran to launch retaliatory strikes.

Israeli authorities said at least 24 people have been killed and hundreds injured since then in Iranian missile attacks.​​​​​​​

Meanwhile, in Iran, 585 people have been killed and more than 1,300 wounded in the Israeli assault, according to Iranian media reports.