Iran Ministry of Intelligence Publicly Lists Israeli Defense Journalist Yossi Melman as Hostile Target

Iran's Ministry of Intelligence published an official document in the state gazette on July 12, listing "hostile elements" whose contact with Iranian citizens can trigger prosecution under a law increasing penalties for espionage and cooperation with Israel 12. The list categorizes targets into three tiers: 44 hostile networks, 61 hostile media persons, and 310 hostile virtual pages, and names Israeli journalists Yossi Melman, Amit Segal, and Dr. Raz Zimmt, JNS host Emily Schrader (ranked second among the media persons), Israeli-Arab activist Yoseph Haddad, and Iranian opposition figures Reza Pahlavi, Shirin Ebadi, Masih Alinejad, and Ali Karimi 12. The directive, sent by the Intelligence Ministry to Iran's Attorney General on June 13, states that political, cultural, media, or propaganda-related contact with listed individuals can constitute a security offense, and that new accounts they create will be treated the same way. JNS reporting instead ties the categorized breakdown to a separate Ministry letter to the prosecutor general dated May 3, leaving the underlying document timeline unreconciled across outlets 1. Melman, writing in SpyTalk, said he is the only Israeli defense and security commentator among the Israelis named 3.