The foreigner, from an unnamed European country, was arrested by the intelligence wing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad province in southwestern Iran, according to the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News.
Tasnim said the European national had entered Iran as a tourist at the start of Israel’s attacks and was on a mission to gather information about “sensitive and important centers” in desert areas of the country. Images of these sites were found in the person’s possession.
The European national had reportedly been residing in an Iranian city with the help of a local contact and was in possession of a SIM card registered to an Iranian citizen, along with several mobile phones, Tasnim said.
Iranian authorities and state-affiliated media have reported the arrests of dozens of civilians accused of spying for Israel or cooperating with it since the conflict began.
More than 80 foreigners have been arrested in Qazvin province, northwest of Tehran, over the past two days, the IRGC’s local office said, Tasnim reported. On Tuesday, a foreigner was arrested and accused of filming near Bushehr nuclear power plant.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council announced a June 22 deadline for individuals who were “deceived” into cooperating with Israel to voluntarily turn themselves in to authorities in exchange for potential amnesty, Fars news agency reported on Friday.
After the deadline, anyone who acted as collaborators with Israel during wartime will face a harsh punishment, it said.
