The Israeli intelligence agency Mossad announced that Iran attempted to recruit foreign nationals to carry out attacks targeting prominent Israeli officials and figures inside Israel.

The Israeli Prime Minister's Office, in a statement issued on behalf of Mossad, said that the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence used 'criminal agents as proxies' to recruit individuals capable of entering Israel, with the aim of gathering intelligence on potential targets ahead of carrying out attacks.

The statement added that Mossad and the internal security service Shin Bet worked together with 'international partners' to thwart dozens of plots that it said were orchestrated by Iran, noting that the investigations helped save lives and take legal action against those involved.

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According to the statement, Tehran's attempts to conceal its direct involvement by relying on proxies did not prevent, in the Israeli narrative, the exposure of the Iranian entities overseeing those operations.

In a related context, the American network CNN quoted sources as saying that Israel has witnessed an unprecedented increase in internal espionage cases since 2023, with at least 60 Israelis being charged with working for Iran, while the Israeli prosecution said that some of the sites photographed by suspects were later targeted by Iranian missile attacks.

There was no immediate comment from the Iranian side on what the Israeli statement reported.