Iran’s judicial authority announced the arrest of 14 people in the West Azerbaijan Province, after accusing them of links to Israel, a semi-official Iranian news agency reported.
The Tasnim News Agency cited the judicial authority as stating that those arrested were part of a cell it described as terrorist, accusing it of planning to monitor and assassinate a number of people.
Iran accuses Israel of being behind the assassination of many of its top scientists in recent years.
The news agency also reported that the Security Directorate in West Azerbaijan Province, northwest of the country, in coordination with the judiciary, managed to arrest the ‘terrorist cell’.
Quoting the head of the Center for Protection and Information in the Iranian judiciary, the agency also reported that the detainees “intended to identify and assassinate several people.”
Tehran accuses Israel of being behind many of the attacks that took place on its territories in recent years, such as the sabotage of nuclear facilities and the assassination of a number of its prominent scientists.
Israeli Opposition Leaders Slam Netanyahu over Saudi-Iran Deal
The Iranian authorities often announce the arrest of people associated with the intelligence services of foreign countries, especially the United States and Israel.
Last December, Iran’s Fars News Agency reported that authorities executed 4 individuals who were convicted of collaborating with the Israeli intelligence agency, the Mossad.
The Iranian authorities also announced the dismantling of several networks linked to Israel during the past year, and the arrests of alleged spies affiliated with Tel Aviv.
A hidden intelligence war is escalating between Tehran and Tel Aviv.
After failing to generate enough interest in Washington and other Middle Eastern capitals to launch a war against Iran, Israeli leaders are now openly threatening to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities on their own.
The Israeli mission to isolate Iran, however, was largely impeded by the Iranian-Saudi peace agreement, mediated by China last April.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
