IRAN’S SPY CRACKDOWN SETS A GRIM RECORD – Iran is recording its highest number of executions in roughly two decades, with nearly 2,000 carried out in 2025, according to human rights monitors. The UK’s The Telegraph reports that many of those who were put to death were accused of espionage following closed proceedings and confessions that were reportedly obtained under coercion. The spike comes amid heightened tensions with Israel and persistent domestic unrest, underscoring how broadly Tehran now defines “national security.” In practice, espionage has become a flexible, fast, and fatal charge.
FROM GALLOWS TO GLOBAL TARGET LISTS – Tehran has had a busy year. While busy executing people at home, Iran’s reach abroad is keeping counterintelligence professionals busy as well. According to The Jerusalem Post, the FBI is investigating a suspected Quds Force operative who officials believe is linked to directing attacks and threats targeting current and former U.S. and European officials. It doesn’t stop there - with some targets believed to be as far away as Australia and Mexico. What does this tell us? That Tehran’s approach to “national security” spans from public hangings to international terrorism: a reminder that when paranoia meets power, both the domestic population and foreign targets may find themselves on the regime’s radar.
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