Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Iranian President Mahmoud AhmadinejadIsrael news photo: Flash 90

Iran arrested an alleged army spy caught approaching Ahmadinejad’s helicopter, state-run media reported late Monday.

"A person with known identity who is linked with the spy service of an Arab state has been arrested by the Sabzevar (city) Corps," according to a statement released by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) public relations.

The government-run Fars News Agency said the spy worked for an Arab country’s intelligence agency. "During interrogations, the arrested individual has confessed to his links with the citizens of an Arab country and transfer of sensitive information to them," the statement added.

Iranian authorities found him with information transmission tools and equipment. The report did not explain how the alleged spy penetrated the protected landing area of Ahmadinejad's helicopter during his recent visit in eastern Iran.

The Revolutionary Guards also said it discovered and seized a cache of ammunition, weapons and military and telecommunication tools and equipment in the operation.

The report follows previous arrests of a number of alleged American and Israeli spies during the last year. One alleged spy was executed last month.

In January, an Iranian court sentenced to death an Arizona native of Iranian descent on charges of working for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Iran's Supreme Court overturned the death sentence in March and ordered a retrial after the family of the alleged spy, 28-year-old Amir Mirzai Hekmati, insisted he had visited Iran to visit his grandmother.