Director-General of Intelligence in West Azarbaijan province made the remarks in a friendly meeting with media operators and social media activists, saying that the spy network tried to hire thugs with the aim of carrying out sabotages in the Islamic country, but the vigilant intelligence forces foiled the plot and dismantled the network.
The thugs have been hired by the Zionist regime's Mossad merely for financial benefits, the official noted.
Pointing to the fact that West Azarbaijan has been a leading province in dealing with thugs, he said that the Iranian authorities have time and again announced that such elements who threaten the security of people and the country should surrender themselves to law enforcement forces, or they will face harsh repercussions.
He also elaborated that those who foment sabotage are not only disrupters of public order or creators of insecurity but also elements who try to threaten economic, political and other aspects of stability as well as bring about stress among people.
The Ministry of Intelligence of the Islamic Republic of Iran is focused on fighting corruption, oppression and discrimination because preservation of security and national interests is of great importance in the Islamic nation, he added.
The provincial official further referred to the role of media outlets in managing public opinion, noting that media are expected to pursue transparency and expertise investigation, when it comes to reporting, in order to prevent misuse by foreigners.
Elsewhere in his remarks, the official pointed to the current situation in the Vienna talks to revive the 2015 nuclear deal and lift anti-Iran sanctions, expressing hope that Tehran's redlines declared by the Iranian negotiating team will be respected by others sides.
The Iranian delegation is determined to preserve the national interests of Iran in the nuclear negotiations; although, the administration of President Ebrahim Raisi will not tie the economic progress of the country to the result of the Vienna talks.
Representatives from Iran, the European Union, and the P4+1 group of countries, including Britain, France, Russia, China plus Germany made efforts to finalize a draft text for a potential Vienna agreement and they are trying to make decisions on certain outstanding issues.
Verification of future measures, assurances on implementation of commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) are among the topic that the West should guarantee ahead of finalizing a potential agreement in Vienna.
