Iran Arrests Alleged US-Israeli Mercenaries Across Four Provinces

Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence announced Thursday that its forces have identified and arrested 14 mercenaries “recruited by the American-Zionist enemy” across the provinces of Kermanshah, Alborz, Fars, and Kerman. The ministry said the individuals were engaged in activities “against national security amid the US-Israeli aggression on the Islamic Republic.”

In Kermanshah, authorities dismantled an operational cell of a terrorist faction, apprehending three members and their ringleader. Officials seized a large number of handmade explosives, gunpowder, fuses, a handgun, and three Starlink satellite internet terminals. The ministry reported that the cell was directed by a Germany-based individual to carry out attacks on government and media centers in the province.

In Alborz, five mercenaries were arrested, including two members of a terrorist faction, before they could carry out any hostile operations. The ministry noted that three of the five had been collecting intelligence on military centers, photographing sensitive locations, and transmitting the information to the enemy. Confiscated items included special scissors for removing obstacles and counterfeit mission orders for security forces.

In Kerman, four individuals linked to the spy network “Iran International” television were arrested for sending addresses of Iranian military and security locations to the network. Meanwhile, a mercenary in Fars was apprehended for gathering and transmitting coordinates of Iran’s refineries to the American-Zionist enemy, reportedly facilitating potential attacks on civilian infrastructure.

The ministry’s statement comes amid heightened tensions following the US and Israel’s alleged attacks on Iran on February 28, which included the assassination of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, senior military commanders, and civilians. In retaliation, Iranian armed forces have reportedly conducted missile and drone strikes targeting US bases in the region and Israeli positions in occupied territories.