Iran announced that it has arrested Israeli spies with links to Ron Arad foundation, an organization which offers rewards for information about Ron Arad, Israeli soldier missing in action.
“A significant number of people” linked to the Rod Arad website or “deceived by the site” have been identified and arrested, Iranian minister of intelligence Heydar Moslehi said.
He added: “A number of these individuals were arrested and others have been identified and are being exploited for further penetration into the Mossad intelligence system.”
The detainees will be prosecuted according to the amount of information they have passed on to Israeli agents.
“If those who have been deceived by the spying site of Ron Arad foundation identify themselves and collaborate with the intelligence forces, there will certainly be room to consider reductions in their punishments,” Moslehi stated.
Moslehi’s allusion was to the 10million.org website operated by Born to Freedom Foundation NGO which offers $10 million reward for "proven information leading to soldiers missing in action," including Ron Arad, an Israeli Air Force navigator who was shot down over Lebanon in 1986.
Moslehi contended that “the Zionist regime has been running this institution inside the Islamic Republic of Iran and neighbouring and even Islamic states in the form of an NGO since 20 years ago under a humanitarian cover."
He added that they try to “lure people from various countries in order to use them to monitor intelligence and other activities in Islamic countries.”
“Website organizers try to deceive people with monetary rewards. Fortunately almost all the people in Iran who were linked to this organization and those were deceived by it have been identified;” Iranian intelligence minister said.
He added that those who fail to voluntarily report their links with the site to the authorities by February 11 will receive heavy penalties.
Iran has reported the arrest of “Israeli spies” several times in the past year. Iranian authorities maintain that they have arrested tens of “Israeli spies” but so far none have been identified.
In November, Ali Akbar Siadat was hanged in Tehran convicted of espionage activities for Israel.
Two years ago, another prisoner identified as Ali Ashtari was executed as an Israeli intelligence agent.
Iranian intelligence minister recently announced that his ministry has penetrated the Israeli intelligence network in Iran which according to Moslehi was also responsible for the assassination of Iranian university professor, Massoud Ali-Mohammadi.
