Iran foils attacks on 'sensitive' sites, blames pro-Israel spies

TEHRAN: 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, state news agency IRNA reported.

The suspects entered Iran from northern Iraq but were arrested before they could carry out their mission, IRNA said, citing a statement from the ministry.

“The members of the terrorist organisation work for the Zionist spy agency Mossad who were sent to (Iran) to carry out terrorist operation… against sensitive sites,” IRNA reported.

The statement did not say how many suspects were arrested or give their nationalities, nor did it identify the targets of the purported plots.

“The members of the network were in contact with Mossad through one of Iran’s neighbouring countries… and intended on carrying unprecedented terrorist activities in some sensitive locations and pre-determined targets,” it said.

The suspects entered Iran from Iraq’s Kurdistan region at an unspecified date and “modern communication equipment” and “explosive devices” were seized during their arrests, the statement added.

Iran and Israel have been engaged in a years-long shadow war, with the Islamic republic accusing its arch-foe of carrying out sabotage attacks against its nuclear sites and assassinations of key figures, including scientists.

But tensions have ratcheted up following a string of high-profile incidents that Tehran has blamed on Israel.

The Islamic republic has pointed at Israel for the killing of Revolutionary Guards Colonel Sayyad Khodai at his Tehran home on May 22.

Two other senior Guard members have also died — one in a reported accident and the other in a shooting — earlier this year.

In April, Iran said it arrested three people linked to Mossad and a month earlier claimed it had foiled an attack on a nuclear plant also planned by suspects linked to Israel.