Israel’s spy agency tells Iranian protesters ‘we are with you on the ground’ as economic unrest spreads in Tehran and other cities.
JERUSALEM: Israel’s Mossad spy agency has directly urged Iranians to continue street protests, stating it supports them “on the ground”.
The call was issued via a Farsi-language post on the agency’s X account, as reported by Israel’s army radio.
“Go out into the streets together. The time has come. We are with you,” the message stated.
It added, “Not just from a distance or through words. We are also with you on the ground.”
Protests that began with Tehran shopkeepers rallying against Iran’s worsening economy have now spread to other cities.
Students have also joined the demonstrations, which started on Sunday.
The Iranian rial has dropped sharply against the US dollar and other world currencies.
This depreciation has forced up import prices and hurt retail traders.
The Mossad appeal followed talks this week between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump.
After the meeting, Trump warned Iran of fresh strikes if it rebuilt its nuclear or ballistic missile programmes.
Arch-foes Iran and Israel fought a 12-day war earlier this year.
Israel launched a wave of strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities as well as residential areas, aiming to cripple the Islamic Republic’s atomic research and ballistic missile capabilities.
Iran responded with drone and missile attacks on Israel.
The United States later joined Israel in briefly targeting Iranian nuclear sites before a ceasefire was declared.
Iran, which does not recognise Israel, has long accused it of conducting sabotage operations against its nuclear facilities.
It also accuses Israel of assassinating its scientists.
Iran backs militant groups around the region as part of its so-called axis of resistance.
These groups include Lebanon’s Hezbollah and the Palestinian movement Hamas.
Israel has fought major wars with both groups in the past two years.
Former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran in July 2024 in an attack widely attributed to Israel.
