Iran’s under-siege ruling elite have delivered a strong warning to its citizens abroad as tensions over the regime hit fever pitch.
Iran’s under-siege ruling elite have continued to crack down on the nation’s 91 million civilians as unrest grows amid the chaotic backdrop of war.
Officials representing new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei have now delivered a strong warning to its citizens abroad — help the US or Israel and you could lose everything back home.
According to Iranian state media, prosecutors sent out a direct threat to expatriates who may be assisting their attackers in any way, shape or form.
They warned that those who “sympathise, support, or cooperate with the American-Zionist enemy” could face confiscation of property and other legal penalties under national-security laws.
Iranian authorities say they recently detained several people accused of working with groups connected to Western governments.
State-aligned reporting said the intelligence ministry “arrested seven individuals affiliated with hostile groups based in the United States and Europe”.
The new crackdown comes as parts of the Iranian diaspora openly criticise the regime, which has long repressed those who show any form of dissent towards the nonsecular government.
Several expatriates have expressed strong feelings against the regime, which relies on tight control over the media and public life to maintain power.
Iran has also executed people convicted of spying. The nation is among one of the worst in the world for the death penalty, with execution numbers climbing significantly in the past few years. In 2024, the UN reported “at least 975 individuals were executed in Iran”, up from 853 in 2023 and 553 in 2022.
In one case, a man identified by authorities as Hamidreza Sabet Esmailipour was executed after being convicted of espionage.
Iran’s judiciary said he was accused of “spying for Israel’s intelligence service, Mossad”. Another reported case involved Aghil Keshavarz, described as “the tenth person put to death for espionage since June conflict with Israel” in 2025.
Iranian authorities remain adamant those arrested were working for the enemy and must be eradicated.
Iran’s modern system began after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which replaced the monarchy with the clerical government we see today.
At the centre of that system is the Supreme Leader, the country’s most powerful political figure. According to the US Institute of Peace, the position carries sweeping authority.
“Elections” still exist, but the state heavily controls who can run.
Human Rights Watch explains that the Iran’s Guardian Council “reviews all legislation and vets candidates for elected office, disqualifying many who are deemed insufficiently loyal to the system.”
Freedom House reports that authorities operate “one of the world’s most restrictive internet environments, with extensive censorship and surveillance of online activity.”
During periods of unrest, the government has even cut the country off from the internet.
Amnesty International documented that authorities have “imposed nationwide internet shutdowns to prevent protesters from organising and sharing information” during periods of potential destabilisation.
Traditional media platforms are tightly regulated as well, leaving the state with major influence over television, radio and large parts of the press.
When protests erupt, Iran relies on its vast security institutions to keep people in line.
Amnesty International reports that during past demonstrations, security forces “used unlawful lethal force and mass arrests against protesters across the country.”
In recent years, Iran has faced repeated waves of civil unrest ranging from economic demonstrations to broader anti-government movements.
The most significant was the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests that erupted in 2022 after the death of Mahsa Amini while in morality-police custody, sparking nationwide demonstrations against compulsory hijab laws and the ruling system.
Amnesty International reported that authorities responded with “unlawful lethal force, mass arbitrary arrests and harsh prison sentences against protesters.”
More recently, economic protests in 2025–2026 saw shopkeepers close businesses and crowds gather over inflation and declining living standards, while workers, students and retirees have organised strikes and demonstrations across several cities.
It has all culminated in a perfect storm this month as the US and Israel attempt to topple the rusted-on regime by force.
