Iran Nabs 5 Alleged Members Of Israeli Spy Ring

Iranian police have arrested the alleged leader and four other members of a spy network they claim are affiliated with Israel's secret services, according to a statement released on Thursday by the intelligence organization of Iran's law enforcement unit, Reuters reported.

Photo Insert: Iranian police did not specify the nationalities of those arrested but said they had received training for armed operations and sabotage.

They did not specify the nationalities of those arrested but said they had received training for armed operations and sabotage. The network's members were captured before they could carry out their plot, according to the Lebanese Al-Mayadeen TV station.

They worked to gather intelligence for Israel in addition to spreading rumors against the Iranian regime.

"The arrested five members of this spy network were given various pledges from (Israel's) Mossad, including financial promises, to gather information from important areas across the country," the law enforcement intelligence organization said in a statement reported by the semi-official ILNA news agency.

In Israel, the Prime Minister's Office, which oversees the foreign intelligence agency Mossad, declined comment on the reported arrests.

On Wednesday, Iran's minister of intelligence Esmail Khatib said Tehran had foiled subversive actions from the "Zionist regime" – its term for Israel. Iranian security forces have successfully carried out a number of operations against Israel over the last few months, he said without specifying what they consisted of.

Last week, Iran said its security forces had arrested a network of agents working for Israel before they were able to carry out sabotage and "terrorist operations", state media reported.

The announcement by Iran's Intelligence Ministry came amid heightening tensions with arch-enemy Israel over Tehran's nuclear program.

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