The arrests have raised fears that a new wave of repression is coming, as the government seeks to root out spy networks and clamp down on any dissent.

"Khamenei's position is surely weakened," Arash Azizi, who unveiled an alleged plot against the supreme leader, told Newsweek.

US defense companies doing business in Israel are at increased risk of cyberattacks from Iran despite an Israel-Iran ceasefire, American cybersecurity and defense agencies warned Monday.