TEHRAN – Iran’s Guardian Council said Saturday that a bill toughening punishments for espionage with Israel has been sent back to parliament for final clarification, as authorities intensify a nationwide crackdown on suspected Mossad agents.

Guardian Council spokesman Hadi Tahan Nazif told reporters that the draft legislation — which targets espionage and cooperation with the Zionist regime and other hostile states against Iran’s security and national interests — was originally passed during the 12-day war imposed on the country. “Most of the ambiguities in the bill have been resolved, and only one remains. The Guardian Council has referred this back to the Islamic Consultative Assembly for clarification,” he said.

Iran has been stepping up measures against espionage networks following the Israeli war. In late July, intelligence forces announced the arrest of 20 spies, Mossad operational and support agents, and individuals connected to Israeli intelligence officers in Tehran and several other provinces.

On June 13, the Israeli regime carried out an unlawful act of aggression against Iran, assassinating senior commanders, nuclear scientists, and civilians. Iran retaliated within 24 hours with missile and drone strikes, later escalating with further operations under True Promise III.

The conflict widened on June 22, when U.S. bombers struck three Iranian nuclear facilities in a blatant violation of international law. Iran responded with a missile strike on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest U.S. military base in West Asia. The embattled Israeli regime was forced to suggest a unilateral truce on June 24.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Judiciary has pressed ahead with executions of convicted Mossad agents. On Wednesday, the official Judiciary news agency reported that Babak Shahbazi, convicted of espionage and security cooperation with Israel, was executed by hanging after his death sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court.