Hussain Hazbavi 
Iran has detained about 2,000 people accused of links to hostile intelligence networks during and after the 12-day war with Israel in June, according to a senior Iranian military official.
Abolfazl Shekarchi, the armed forces’ cultural deputy, said a “large and organized spy network” had been operating inside the country for years and was dismantled following extensive security operations.
“A wide network of spies and enemy agents had been formed through years of effort, training, and heavy financial investment,” Shekarchi was quoted as saying by state media.
He said arrests began several months before the outbreak of the fighting and continued until the end of the war. “From a few months prior to the war, due to the level of preparedness, and throughout the conflict, around 2,000 of these agents were arrested,” he said.
Shekarchi added that rebuilding such intelligence networks would be difficult and time-consuming. “Reconstructing a network of this scale is not simple and requires years and significant costs,” he said.
Iran’s judiciary chief, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, had previously cited a similar number of arrests in comments made in July. He warned that some detainees could face severe penalties, including execution, if convicted of cooperating with Israel during wartime.
“Under our law, anyone who cooperates with a hostile state during war must be arrested and prosecuted,” Ejei said in an interview with state television. “Some of these individuals may face harsh punishments, including the death penalty, while others could receive lighter sentences or be released following investigations.”
