ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iran claimed Monday it dismantled two “operational teams” of Israeli spies in several provinces of the country and arrested them while they were allegedly plotting to assassinate a military official and conduct sabotage operations, state media reported.
“Two operational teams of the Zionist regime’s spy organization, who intended to assassinate a military official and carry out several sabotage attacks in the big cities of our country, were identified and arrested,” IRNA quoted the Ministry of Intelligence as saying.
A total of 13 alleged spies were identified within the networks and arrested in Tehran, Isfahan, Yazd, West Azerbaijan, and Golestan provinces, and the intelligence ministry claim that the head is an individual nicknamed “Sirous” who lives in Europe.
“This was the second major intelligence and operational failure of the fake and temporary Zionist regime in less than six months,” the intelligence ministry said, after it announced the arrest of four more Mossad “operational teams” on December 22.
Israel and Iran are fierce rivals, with both countries considering each other as their greatest enemy. Israel cites Iran’s nuclear program, military activities, and support for hostile militant groups as reasons for the rivalry.
In July, Iranian intelligence claimed to have arrested a network of agents working for Mossad seeking to “carry out terrorist acts” in the country.
