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3. Iran Says Dual National Arrested During 12-day War on Trial for Spying for Israel

Iran's judiciary said Monday that a dual national arrested during the recent 12-day war with Israel has been referred to trial on charges of spying for the enemy.

The judiciary's Mizan Online news agency did not name the defendant, describing him only as a "dual national who lives in a European country" and was arrested in Iran during the June war.

It said an Iranian court has begun hearing his case, in which he is accused of "intelligence cooperation and espionage in the interest of the Zionist regime."

According to Mizan, the defendant entered Iran one month before the conflict, which erupted after Israel launched an unprecedented attack on Iran, striking military and nuclear sites, as well as residential areas.

That attack triggered a 12-day conflict in which Iran responded with drone and missile strikes on Israel and later saw the United States join Israel in striking Iranian nuclear sites.

Mizan said investigations indicated the defendant had been in contact with Israel's Mossad spy agency and had been trained as an agent in "the capitals of several European countries and the occupied territories."

"Sophisticated espionage and intelligence equipment were found at the time of his arrest and in the villa where he was staying," it added, without elaborating.

During the war, Iranian authorities announced at least three arrests of Europeans, including Lennart Monterlos, a 19-year-old French-German cyclist, who was later released.

In October, Iran passed a law that toughened penalties for those convicted of spying on behalf of Israel and the United States.

The official IRNA news agency reported at the time that "all deliberate assistance is condemned as corruption on Earth" -- one of the most serious charges in Iran, punishable by death.

Since the war, Iran has vowed swift trials for those arrested on suspicion of collaborating with Israel, announcing multiple arrests of people suspected of spying for Israel and the execution of several people convicted on such charges.

Iran does not recognize Israel and has long accused it of carrying out sabotage operations against its nuclear facilities, as well as assassinating its scientists.

The June war was the first sustained conflict between Iran and Israel, after sporadic tit-for-tat strikes in 2024 that stopped short of open warfare.

A ceasefire between Iran and Israel took effect on June 24.

AFP