The Iranian judiciary has announced steep penalties for people accused of espionage or collaboration with what it terms "hostile states," including the possibility of the death penalty and the confiscation of all assets, a judiciary spokesperson said. The comments come about a month after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, after which officials say the conflict has expanded across the region.
Under legislation that officials say was passed last year, authorities are treating a range of activities - described as operational, intelligence-related or certain media acts - as potentially supporting hostile governments, notably the United States and Israel. The judiciary spokesman underscored that even distribution of photographs or video that could facilitate enemy targeting may be categorized as intelligence cooperation.
Iranian media outlets have reported that more than 1,000 people were arrested over the course of the month for alleged activities including filming sensitive sites, sharing anti-government material online, or cooperating with the enemy. The judiciary spokesman said around 200 indictments have been issued in such cases, and that enforcement has intensified in wartime with increased penalties for those spreading what officials call misinformation designed to create fear.
Authorities said they are working alongside security agencies to trace and confiscate assets linked to suspects, and the spokesman warned that there would be no leniency in applying the law. Officials framed the tougher approach as part of a wartime posture, with legal sanctions heightened under the circumstances.
The wider conflict, which officials trace to attacks on February 28, has, according to authorities, led to fatalities numbering in the thousands, disruptions to energy supplies and effects on the global economy. The judiciary comments tie domestic enforcement actions to this broader security environment, but officials did not provide further operational details on enforcement procedures or timelines beyond the figures on arrests and indictments.
As stated by the judiciary spokesman, the focus of the legislation covers activities judged to offer operational or intelligence support to hostile states, and extends to certain media behaviors. Penalties for creating fear through what authorities label misinformation include prison terms, with those penalties elevated during wartime conditions.