On October 1st, Iranian lawmakers approved a bill that increases penalties for individuals convicted of spying on behalf of the United States and Israel.
The bill was first introduced to parliament on June 23rd, during a conflict in which Israel carried out military operations against Iran, targeting nuclear facilities, and military command centres.
Iran’s President, Masoud Pezeshkian must approve the bill before it can take effect. The move follows the arrest of dozens of individuals accused of spying for Israel and the United States in the aftermath of the war.
The text approving “tougher sanctions for spying and collaborating with the Zionist regime [Israel] and hostile countries, including the United States, on security and national interests” was approved, said the Guardians’ Council, the body responsible for overseeing legislation.
According to state news agency IRNA, the bill did not clarify which other nations Iran deems “hostile,” but declared that “all deliberate assistance is condemned as corruption on Earth”—a charge among the gravest in Iran, carrying the death penalty.
Under the previous law, no specific countries were named, and espionage was not treated as a capital offense.
The new legislation introduces a penalty of up to two years in prison for “using, transporting, buying or selling unlicensed internet devices such as Starlink,” which are often used to bypass restrictions on online content. It also criminalizes the sharing of videos and images with “hostile or foreign channels that…could undermine national security,” an offense punishable by up to five years in prison, according to IRNA.
In addition, the bill bans “all illegal marches and gatherings during wartime.”
