Iranian authorities on Wednesday approved a bill toughening penalties for those convicted of spying on behalf of Israel and the United States, months after the 12-day war between the foes.
The bill was presented to parliament on 23 June, as Iran and Israel were engaged in a war that saw unprecedented Israeli strikes on the Islamic republic, which the US briefly joined.
Iran’s president must sign off on the bill before it goes into effect. It comes after dozens of people were captured by authorities on suspicion 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.
It did not specify which other countries were considered “hostile”, according to state news agency IRNA, but said “all deliberate assistance is condemned as corruption on Earth” — one of the most serious charges in Iran, punishable by death.
(AFP)