Iran’s intelligence ministry announced Saturday the arrest of agents linked to Israel’s Mossad who entered the Islamic republic to carry out attacks against “sensitive” sites.
The suspects entered Iran from northern Iraq but were apprehended before they could complete their mission, according to IRNA, citing a ministry statement.
“Members of the terrorist organization work for the Zionist spy agency Mossad and were dispatched to (Iran) to carry out terrorist operations… against sensitive sites,” according to IRNA.
The statement did not specify how many suspects were apprehended or their nationalities, nor did it specify the alleged plots’ targets.
“The network’s members were in contact with Mossad via one of Iran’s neighboring countries… and planned to carry out unprecedented terrorist activities in some sensitive locations and pre-determined targets,” it said.
The suspects entered Iran at an unknown date from Iraq’s Kurdistan region, and “modern communication equipment” and “explosive devices” were seized during their arrests, according to the statement.
Iran and Israel have been at odds for years, with the Islamic republic accusing its adversary of carrying out sabotage attacks on its nuclear facilities and assassinating key figures, including scientists.
However, tensions have risen as a result of a series of high-profile incidents that Tehran has blamed on Israel.
The Islamic Republic has blamed Israel for the assassination of Revolutionary Guards Colonel Sayyad Khodai at his home in Tehran on May 22.
Two other senior Guard members died earlier this year, one in a reported accident and the other in a shooting.
Iran said in April that it had arrested three Mossad suspects and that a month earlier it had foiled an attack on a nuclear plant also planned by Israeli suspects.
