A session of the judiciary authorities of the southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province
Iran says the three Mossad agents arrested in southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province In April sought to assassinate some Iranian nuclear scientists.
The prosecutor of Zahedan said on Tuesday that the three Mossad-linked agents will put on trial in the near future.
"The three were planning to assassinate our nuclear scientists according to intelligence assessments," Mehdi Shamsabadi said, without specifying the nationality of the detainees.
Late in April, Iran’s Intelligence Ministry announced the arrest of “three spies” by "a court order" over links to the Israeli intelligence agency, adding “that these individuals were involved “in the dissemination of classified information and documents.”
The Islamic Republic periodically announces it has busted “terrorist” or spying networks, but it rarely provides any follow-up news or concrete information and almost never holds public trials. In some cases, individuals convicted of ties with Israel have been executed.
In October, Iran announced that ten people were arrested for “links with intelligence services” of regional “adversaries” without disclosing which intelligence service had established the alleged network inside the country. But the use of the term ‘regional adversary’ could refer to Israel which is suspected of conducting spectacular sabotage acts against Iran’s nuclear, military and strategic economic targets since July 2020, or it could mean Saudi Arabia.
Tensions have risen between Israel and Iran as the Biden administration has tried to restore the 2015 nuclear agreement. Israel regards the prospect of Iran developing nuclear weapons as a threat to its existence and could act independently to stop Iran's nuclear program should the international community fail to do so.