Iranian Intelligence Minister said that tens of spies have been identified and arrested throughout various government organizations.
Mahmoud Alavi made the announcement on Tuesday, while noting that most of these detained individuals had dual nationality.
“The Intelligence Ministry’s anti-espionage division is one of its most powerful divisions,” stressed Alavi.
He further noted since the beginning of the month various anti-terror operations have been carried out throughout the country. Alavi added that terrorist groups are trying to instigating sectarian violence in Iran.
“They wanted to assassinate five Sunni clerics… but we foiled their plot,” he added.
Elsewhere in his remarks, lawi highlighted his ministry’s capabilities to carry out anti-espionage operations and said the intelligence forces once managed to recruit a cabinet member of “a hostile government”.
“A while ago, you heard that we had (recruited) a cabinet member …from a (hostile) government,” he added, without referring to the nationality of the person.
The remarks came after Israeli internal security agency, Shin Bet, announced on June 18 that former minister Gonen Segev has been charged with spying for Iran.
The former energy and infrastructure minister – who also spent time in jail for drug smuggling, forgery and fraud – was arrested on suspicion of “assisting the enemy in a time of war, spying against Israel and providing intelligence to the enemy”.
Source: Iranian media
