VIDEO / Iran seeks death penalty for 3 accused of spying for Israel

An Iranian prosecutor said on Tuesday he would seek the death penalty for three Iranians accused of spying for Israel, the ISNA news agency reported on Tuesday.

The prosecutor told ISNA that the network was formed after the Mossad spy agency recruited one of the detainees, a man previously involved with Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards

It was not immediately clear whether the three were members of an alleged Israeli-linked spy network which state media on Monday said had been broken up by Guards.

IRNA quoted Tehran General Prosecutor Saeed Mortazavi as saying the He said the three members of the network were trained by Israeli intelligence agents, but detained before they could relay any information to Israel.

Mortazavi added that the spies, who planned to bomb military sites and assassinate military experts, now face capital punishment.

"Since Israel is the enemy of the Iranian people, the prosecutor's office will ask for their execution," he said, adding that their trial would start after the Guards finish its investigation.

Iran's state TV also showed video footage of devices such as GPS equipment, satellite telephone, laser distance-meter and oscilloscope and described as belonging to the network.

"The court will ask for the execution sentence for the accused," ISNA quoted Tehran's general prosecutor Saeed Mortazevi as saying. "The three detained accused are Iranians and received the necessary training in Tel Aviv."

ISNA described the detainees as "Mossad spies," referring to Israel's foreign intelligence agency.

It came three days after Iran's judiciary said an Iranian businessman had been executed after being convicted of spying on the country's military for the Islamic Republic's arch foe.

Tension between Iran and Israel have been running high in recent months amid speculation the Jewish state might attack Iranian nuclear facilities which it believes form part of a covert weapons program.

Iran rejects the accusation and says it would retaliate for any military strikes launched by Israel, believed to be the only Middle Eastern country with nuclear arms, or the United States.