TEHRAN -- Iran’s intelligence ministry said Tuesday it has identified and arrested members of two more teams affiliated with the Israeli Mossad spy agency across the country.

The ministry made the announcement in a statement, saying 23 members of “espionage and terrorist” teams affiliated with Mossad were identified, and 13 people, who had been inside the country, were arrested.

“Twenty-three operational and logistical elements of these terrorist teams have been identified in the provinces of Tehran, Esfahan, Yazd, West Azarbaijan and Golestan,” the statement said, adding that 13 people have been arrested so far and their various operational equipment has also been seized.

The statement stressed that four of the six teams had been arrested as part of an earlier operation in December last year.

The intelligence ministry said the ringleader of the network, going by the nickname ‘Siroos’, resided in one of the European countries and through the social media networks of “Instagram” and “WhatsApp” tried to identify and make initial contact with operational elements inside the country.

The teams intended to “assassinate a military official” and carry out acts of sabotage in some major cities across the country in the midst of the recent foreign-backed riots, it added.

“With the aim of taking advantage of the recent riots in some parts of the country, the spy-terrorist Mossad organization intended to assassinate a military official and conduct several sabotage operations in the country’s major cities, as well as transfer a large amount of explosive material through southern sea borders,” the statement said.

Foreign-backed riots have hit various Iranian provinces since 22-year-old woman Mahsa Amini died at the hospital on September 16, three days after she collapsed at a police station in Tehran. An investigation has attributed Amini’s death to her medical condition, rather than alleged beatings by the police.

The violent riots have claimed the lives of dozens of people and security forces, while also allowing terrorist attacks across the country. In the last four months, the terrorists have set fire to public property and tortured several Basij members and security forces to death.

The United States and its European allies have voiced staunch support for the continuation of violent riots across Iran and spared no effort to fan the flames of unrest in the country as part of their anti-Iran policies.

 

Athletes Refusing to Face Zionist Opponents Honored

 

Iran has honored 18 Iranian and foreign athletes who had refrained from facing Israeli opponents in support of the oppressed Palestinian people.

During a ceremony here, 13 Iranian and five foreign athletes from Lebanon and Syria received symbolic medals from officials of the Ministry of Sports and Youth for supporting the Palestinian cause.

Addressing the ceremony, Deputy Minister of Sports and Youth Sina Kalhor said athletes’ decision not to face Israeli opponents is a collective action that involves the athletes, coaches, managers, and even the media.

He added that all should support an athlete who had tried for many years to earn an international medal but refrained from facing an Israeli opponent.

Back in October, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said Iranian athletes who have refused to face Israeli opponents at the expense of not getting a medal are the real victors.

The Leader said although success in sports is very important and is unlike other victories, the Iranian athletes who chose to boycott Israeli opponents at the expense of not getting a medal are actually victorious.