Qatar said it has arrested 10 people who were part of two organised groups allegedly working for Iran.
The groups, which the state authorities described as two “cells,” had allegedly been operating in Qatar on behalf of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Al Jazeera reports that seven of the suspects were allegedly assigned to gather intelligence and to spy on “vital and military facilities” in Qatar.
The other three suspects were assigned to carry out sabotage attacks, including training in drone use and possession of coordinates for sensitive sites.
According to Qatari authorities, the suspects confessed to being affiliated with the IRGC and carrying out these missions.
“During interrogation, the suspects admitted their affiliation with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and that they had been tasked with espionage missions and sabotage activities,” Qatar News Agency also reported.
Continuous US-Israeli attacks on Iran and Iran’s responses targeting US facilities across the Gulf have made the region volatile.
9news Nigeria reported that Iran’s retaliatory attacks have targeted Gulf countries hosting US bases.
The strikes have affected ports, hotels, and apartment buildings in Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain, and Oman, a country that has served as an intermediary between Iran and the US.
Qatar said it earlier shut down two Iranian fighter jets.
QatarEnergy, one of the world’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporters, also suspended production at two of its sites following drone strikes.
The US embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, caught fire on Tuesday morning after being hit by two “suspected Iranian drones.”
The US later announced the closure of the embassy.
