The Iranian government is using the Born to Freedom Foundation website to trap unwary citizens into being arrested as spies for Israel.

Intelligence Minister Heidar Moslehi claimed Sunday in a news conference that the foundation is intended as a recruiting site for Muslims who are willing to spy for the Jewish State.

The Born to Freedom Foundation, however, in actuality was set up to offer rewards for information about missing IAF navigator Ron Arad.

Nevertheless, Moslehi insisted that Israel has "run the institution inside the Islamic Republic of Iran and neighboring states for some 20 years under a humanitarian cover" to recruit agents for the Mossad.

Iranian government officials said Sunday they have "managed to arrest many individuals deceived by the foundation."

Moslehi informed reporters that if those "deceived by the website of the spy institution... yield to police forces" by February 11 and cooperate with intelligence agents, "their punishments will be commuted."

Lt.-Col. Ron Arad's plane was shot down over southern Lebanon in October 1986. He was taken captive by the Amal terrorist organization, which transferred him to Beirut. There were reports that he was later taken to Iran, but the reports are unsubstantiated.

Hizbullah chief Hassan Nasrallah told United Nations negotiator Gerhard Konrad in June 2008 that Arad was dead, and his remains were lost. However, the claim was not proved and Arad's fate ultimately remains uknown.