Iran Says It Made 21,000 Arrests During War With Israel as Nuclear Talks Remain ‘Complicated’

Iran’s police said on Tuesday that they detained 21,000 suspects during the 12-day of the country’s aerial war with Israel in June, in what is being seen as the first comprehensive arrest count released from during the war period, according to a report published by The Associated Press. 

Iranian police spokesperson Gen. Saeed Montazeralmahdi said the arrests reflect strong public involvement in national security.

“The arrest of 21,000 suspects during the 12‑day war indicated high awareness and participation of people in providing security,” AP quoted Montazeralmahdi as saying.

Among those detained, over 260 individuals were accused of espionage and 172 others were detained for alleged illegal filming activities. Iranian authorities also set up more than 1,000 checkpoints nationwide between June 13 and 24, the report said.

Since the cessation of hostilities following a US-brokered ceasefire, Tehran has reportedly executed seven men convicted of spying for Israel, sparking concerns among human rights advocates about a wave of further executions. 

Nuclear Talks With IAEA: Cautious and Complex

Meanwhile, Iran is preparing for a visit by officials from the UN nuclear watchdog — International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), but Tehran has emphasised that the upcoming negotiations will be “technical” and “complicated,” in what would mark the first such dialogue since Iran suspended cooperation with the agency in July.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said IAEA deputy director general Massimo Aparo met with Iranian officials to discuss future interactions, but without access to nuclear sites. 

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei described the UN nuclear watchdog as having failed to condemn the June strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, accusing them of lacking “wise and rational reaction,” as reported by AP.

What It All Means

Political analysts believe an array of mass arrests signal a deepening internal crackdown as a measure to managedomestic dissent, and are not necessarily a response to the conflict.

Iran, for its part, has insisted that any future cooperation must align with national legal procedures and must be approved by the country’s Supreme National Security Council, seen as a barrier to deeper inspection access.

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