Iran on Monday claimed Israeli intelligence involvement in nationwide unrest after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly voiced support for protesters challenging the Islamic Republic’s leadership.

At a weekly press conference in Tehran, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei accused Israel of attempting to fracture Iran from within, warning that the government would not tolerate foreign-backed destabilization.

“The Zionist regime is determined to exploit the slightest opportunity to sow division and undermine our national unity, and we must remain vigilant,” Baqaei said, before accusing Israeli and U.S. leaders of “incitement to violence.”

The comments come amid a week of widespread protests across Iran that have left dozens dead, according to rights groups. Demonstrations have erupted in multiple cities, with violent clashes reported between protesters and security forces. Iranian authorities have not released an official nationwide death toll.

Iranian state-linked media reported what they claimed was a concrete example of Israeli interference. The semi-official Tasnim News Agency said that Iranian security forces arrested an individual described as “an affiliate of the Zionist regime’s espionage service,” referring to Mossad.

According to Tasnim, the suspect was “identified and detained while acting covertly among rioters in Tehran.” The agency claimed the individual confessed to being recruited and trained by Mossad and to maintaining ongoing communications with Israeli intelligence. The report did not provide independent evidence for the claims, and Israel did not immediately comment.

Netanyahu’s remarks a day earlier appeared to intensify Tehran’s response. In a public statement, the Israeli prime minister said Israelis “identify with the struggle” of Iranians protesting against their government.

“The government of Israel, the State of Israel, and my own policies — we identify with the struggle of the Iranian people, with their aspirations for freedom, liberty and justice,” Netanyahu said. “It is quite possible that we are at a moment when the Iranian people are taking their fate into their own hands.”

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