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

Iran has raised the official death toll for its war with Israel, with official media reporting 935 people were killed in the country during the 12-day conflict.

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.