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Iran: 50+ arrests accused of drone espionage
Shafaq News/ On Sunday, Iranian police arrested 53 individuals accused of using drones to film public and strategic sites in the southern province of Fars, according to Tasnim news agency.
Yousef Malekzadeh, deputy police chief of the province, indicated the arrests were part of an effort to identify individuals suspected of collaborating with Israel or engaging in activities aimed at influencing public perception and conducting intelligence operations within the country.
Authorities reported that those detained were in possession of small drones and related spare parts. Many of the seized devices—16 in total—were equipped with various operational features. The group is also accused of filming sensitive locations and transmitting footage to opposition media outlets based abroad.
The arrests come as Iran intensifies its crackdown on hundreds of suspected collaborators with Israel, which launched Operation Rising Lion on Tehran on June 13. Since the operation began, Iran and Israel have traded near-daily drone and missile strikes despite international calls for restraint.
