Iran's Intelligence Ministry claimed Friday that "dozens" of spies working with Israel were discovered in 28 countries in Asia, Africa, and Europe, including several spies operating in Tehran and other parts of Iran.
The ministry claimed that the spies were uncovered in "the largest combined intelligence and counter-intelligence operation against the espionage and security organizations" of Israel, conducted by the regime's secret agents known as the "anonymous soldiers of Imam Zaman."
The operation also gathered information about "some of the most important secret military facilities, weapons factories, and civilian strategic industries of the usurping Zionist regime," according to the ministry.
The announcement by the ministry stressed that the publication of the details allegedly uncovered in the operation would be restricted, in part to protect the "human factors involved in this project, inside and outside the occupied territories," in an apparent claim that individuals in Israel helped Iran acquire the information the ministry claims to have gathered.
The ministry added that it had identified several Iranians who it said were serving as spies for Israel abroad, warning that "a decision will be made according to the situation of each of them and the level of relations of this ministry with the intelligence agencies of the countries where the spies reside."
Iran has repeatedly threatened Iranians critical of the regime who live abroad in the past, even kidnapping and attempting to kill them in several instances.
Iran claims alleged Israeli spies arrested abroad
The Intelligence Ministry claimed in its announcement on Friday that it had provided the information it gathered on Israeli spies to the countries they were found in when the countries in question had intelligence exchange relations with Iran. The ministry stated that the spies in question were arrested or used to gather information on Israel.
The ministry stressed that it would provide assistance and favorable legal cooperation to anyone in Iran who willingly comes forward and admits to being involved with Israeli intelligence.
Iran periodically claims to have uncovered Israeli spies both in Iran and abroad and often accuses political dissidents of cooperating with the Mossad.
Earlier this week, Iranian authorities executed four Kurdish Iranians accused of planning an attack with the Mossad, with the Hengaw human rights group stating that "even by the standards of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the minimum requirements for a fair trial were not met in their case."