TEHRAN, Sept 23, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Iranian authorities have announced the arrest of 12 people accused of "collaborating" with the country's arch-foe Israel, local media reported on Sunday.

Revolutionary Guards "arrested 12 collaborators with the Zionist regime (Israel) in six provinces" of the Islamic republic, the Fars news agency said.

Iran regularly announces the arrest of people accused of working as agents for foreign countries, most notably Israel.

Fars did not specify the dates or locations of the arrests, but said the accused had been "planning to take action against the security" of Iran.

Tehran has accused Israel of being behind sabotage operations at a number of its nuclear sites, as well as assassinating several Iranian scientists.

In December, authorities executed a man convicted of collusion with Israel's Mossad intelligence agency.

And in December 2022, four men were hanged after being convicted of collaborating with Israel.

Iran has repeatedly vowed to retaliate over a July strike, blamed on Israel, in Tehran that killed the Qatar-based political chief of Palestinian militant group Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh.