A group of suspected Israeli spies have gone on trial in Iran, the Associated Press reported Saturday, citing a news agency in Iran.
Judge Dadkhoda Salari was quoted by the semiofficial Mehr news agency as saying that the group was led by three people who hired some 60 others to conspire against Iran's ruling Islamic government.
Salari was quoted as saying many of those charged confessed during interrogation. He said they acted against Iran's security, collected information and transferred it outside the country and assisted anti-religious establishments in Israel.
The judge did not provide further details, nor said when they were tried or if they were sentenced to prison.
Iran regularly accuses Israel and the United States of waging a deadly campaign of sabotage against its nuclear program and has announced a string of arrests of alleged agents in recent years.
In August, the Islamic Republic claimed it had arrested a local citizen on charges of passing intelligence about Iran to Israel.
In June, Iran claimed to have dismantled a terrorist and sabotage network in the southern city of Shiraz, which allegedly planned bombings and assassination attempts during Iran’s presidential election.
The network had links with the CIA, Israel and some neighboring Arab nations, Iran claimed.
In May, Iran hanged two convicted spies, one accused and found guilty of working for Israel, the other for the United States.
Last year, Iran executed Majid Jamali Fashi after convicting him of spying for the Mossad and of playing a key role in the January 2010 assassination of a top nuclear scientist in return for payment of $120,000.