By: Ariella Haviv

In the aftermath of Israel’s daring and successful Operation Rising Lion — a 12-day military campaign that delivered a devastating blow to Iran’s nuclear infrastructure — the Iranian regime has launched a sweeping crackdown on perceived internal collaborators. According to Kan Reshet Bet and reported by World Israel News on Monday, among those detained are two American Jews with longstanding ties to the United States, raising international concerns about the arbitrary and politically charged nature of Tehran’s actions.

The two men, both Iranian-born but naturalized U.S. citizens, had traveled to Iran to visit relatives before hostilities began. One resides in Los Angeles and has reportedly been released on bail. The other, who has lived in New York for over three decades, remains imprisoned under what observers believe to be fabricated charges of espionage. A source closely involved in efforts to secure their release told World Israel News, “They were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

The detentions form part of a broader wave of arrests by Iranian authorities, who have moved aggressively to root out what they allege are domestic collaborators following Israel’s unprecedented air campaign. Operation Rising Lion, which Israeli officials described as a “strategic triumph,” involved hundreds of precision airstrikes targeting key Iranian military and nuclear assets. According to the information provided in the World Israel News report, the operation was not only militarily effective but also exposed deep vulnerabilities within Iran’s security and intelligence networks — a reality the regime is now attempting to obscure by scapegoating minorities and foreign nationals.

At least 35 Iranian Jews have been detained across the country, most of them accused of nothing more than “liking” social media posts critical of the regime. The report at World Israel News emphasized that these supposed offenses fall far short of the regime’s grave allegations of espionage and sabotage. The arrests appear to be aimed more at instilling fear and silencing dissent than uncovering actual intelligence breaches.

Despite the severity of the accusations, there are emerging signs of cautious optimism. Homayoun Sameyah Najafabadi, the Jewish community’s symbolic representative in Iran’s parliament, has confirmed that most of those detained have already been released. Speaking to World Israel News, Najafabadi revealed that he recently met with the president of the Revolutionary Guards Court in Tehran for a two-hour session to advocate for the detainees. The result of those efforts, he said, was a formal dismissal of espionage charges for those held in the capital.

Five Jews, however — including the New York-based American — remain in custody. “We hope that as a result of continued cooperation, the remaining problems will be resolved soon,” Najafabadi said in comments quoted by World Israel News. His remarks reflect both a measured diplomatic strategy and the precariousness of the Jewish community’s position within a country increasingly hostile to minorities.

Indeed, Jews were not the only targets of the regime’s retaliatory campaign. According to World Israel News, members of other persecuted minorities — including Kurds, Azeris, and Baháʼís — have also been arrested on similarly vague charges of “collaborating with Israel.” These arrests further demonstrate the regime’s strategy of internal scapegoating in response to an external military embarrassment.

Operation Rising Lion itself was a landmark in modern Israeli defense operations, not only for its scale and precision but for the degree of intelligence coordination involved. As World Israel News reported at the time, the Mossad — Israel’s foreign intelligence agency — released unprecedented footage of operatives launching drones on Iranian military installations. These tactical strikes cleared a safe corridor for Israeli fighter jets to target deeper strategic assets, including ballistic missile depots and uranium enrichment facilities.

The daring nature of the operation was underscored by Mossad Director David Barnea, who, in a rare public statement, disclosed that “hundreds” of Israeli intelligence agents had operated from within Iran during the height of the operation. Speaking in the wake of the ceasefire, Barnea emphasized that Mossad’s presence inside Iran was not a one-time engagement, but part of a broader, long-term strategic footprint aimed at neutralizing threats before they reach Israeli territory. As reported by World Israel News, Barnea’s speech sent a clear and unapologetic message: Israel will take whatever steps are necessary to defend itself from existential threats, even if it means operating deep inside enemy territory.

The Iranian regime’s panic in the wake of Operation Rising Lion is palpable. What Israel achieved — with speed, precision, and minimal collateral damage — has been interpreted by analysts as one of the most significant setbacks to the Islamic Republic’s military-industrial ambitions in recent years. Tehran’s response, however, has been to turn inward, lashing out at its own citizens in a desperate attempt to reassert control and save face.

It is against this backdrop that the arrest of two American Jews must be understood. Though there is no credible evidence to support the claims of espionage, the men now find themselves entangled in the regime’s propaganda war — a dangerous game that has already claimed the freedom of dozens and could escalate further if international pressure does not mount swiftly.

For Israel, the episode underscores the enduring need for robust intelligence operations and proactive defense strategies. The Iranian regime’s behavior since the ceasefire — including its persecution of minorities, dissemination of disinformation, and crackdown on dissent — illustrates why preemptive action was not only justified but necessary.

As the World Israel News report said, the reverberations of Operation Rising Lion are far from over. While Israel monitors regional developments and plans for future contingencies, the fate of the five Jews still in Iranian custody — including the New York resident — hangs in the balance. Advocacy groups in the United States and Israel are now working with international partners to secure their release, though progress has been slow and delicate.

What remains indisputable is this: Israel’s campaign was not merely about airstrikes or deterrence — it was about asserting a red line in the face of a regime committed to its destruction. And as World Israel News has reported, the Jewish state will not be deterred by media campaigns or retaliatory arrests. It will defend its people — both at home and abroad — with resolve, resilience, and clarity of purpose.

In the words of one Israeli security official quoted anonymously by World Israel News, “Iran thought it could hide behind distance, proxies, and bluster. Operation Rising Lion proved them wrong. And now, even in their jails, they hold innocent Jews hostage as part of their humiliation. But we do not forget our people — and we will not abandon them.”