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Iranian-born Israeli Sentenced as Spy for Tehran


An Israeli court has sentenced an Iranian-born Israeli to four years in prison on charges of spying for the Islamic republic.

Court officials said Sunday that the defendant delivered classified information to Iranian agents in Turkey.

They did not identify the accused, and Iran has not commented on the sentencing.

Also Sunday, Iran said authorities have arrested a group of people linked to Israel who were planning a series of bombings ahead of the country's June presidential elections.

Iran's state media quoted Intelligence Minister Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei as saying that those arrested were "deceived elements" linked to "Zionist" elements. He also accused "the Zionist regime" of seeking to use "anti-revolutionaries" in Iran for "evil ends."

Iran often refers to Israel as "the Zionist regime" and does not recognize it as a sovereign state. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called for Israel's destruction.

Tensions between the two countries have been on the rise. Last week at a United Nations racism conference, the Iranian leader called Israel a "cruel and repressive racist regime" for its treatment of the Palestinians.

Israeli officials have not ruled out preventive military action to force Iran to stop its uranium enrichment program. The United States and Israel both fear Tehran's enrichment activities could be used to make nuclear weapons.

Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, such as generating electricity.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.

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