Iran arrests 54 in crackdown on 'monarchy supporters,' espionage suspects

Police in Iran said 54 people were arrested over the past 72 hours on charges of involvement in riots and espionage, according to a statement by the public security department on Saturday. The arrests come amid ongoing US-Israeli attacks on Iran that have killed over 1,300 people, including former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, raising concerns about internal instability.

Monarchy supporters targeted

The statement said the arrests were carried out "in coordination with intelligence agencies" and targeted individuals described as "supporters of the former monarchy" who allegedly acted as key leaders and instigators of unrest. Authorities accused the detainees of attacking public and private property and attempting to incite disorder in society, suggesting efforts to exploit the wartime situation.

Espionage charges

Police also announced the arrest of two individuals on espionage charges, accusing them of "sending geographic coordinates of sensitive locations to intelligence agencies linked to Mossad and the US." According to the statement, the suspects also filmed restricted areas and sites previously targeted in strikes and sent the materials to what authorities described as "hostile media outlets."

Violent resistance

The public security department said: "11 supporters of the monarchy were neutralized after resisting police during the security operations." Authorities also said they seized three firearms, 76 bladed weapons, one hand grenade, and large quantities of ammunition during the raids, indicating the scale of the security operations.

Conflict context

The arrests come as Iran faces both external military pressure from US-Israeli strikes and potential internal unrest. The reference to former monarchy supporters highlights ongoing tensions between the Islamic Republic and remnants of the pre-1979 regime, which could be seeking to exploit the current crisis.