As drought hits Iran, the government seeks to link Israel to water protests

Iran's intelligence ministry claimed it has arrested a network of agents working for Israel's Mossad spy agency, Iranian state media reported on Tuesday.

Iranian state-controlled Fars News Agency alleged that agents were carrying guns and grenades meant for use during "urban riots and assassinations" in a border area of western Iran, quoted the intelligence ministry as saying.

Iran's regime frequently portrays critics, including pro-democracy activists, as being Israeli or Western agents. 

The state-controlled agency offered no evidence to support their latest claims.

Protests over poor electricity and water supplies have engulfed Iran in recent weeks, with demonstrators chanting anti-government slogans.

Iran is facing its worst drought in 50 years, the government has said, with many Iranians running out of water.

Protests erupted in June over local election results in southwestern Iran. Iranian police arrested over 100 protesters, according to media reports.

Iran has repeatedly accused the Kurdish region of Iraq, its western neighbour, of harbouring Israeli agents, an accusation that the Iraq Kurdish security forces have vehemently denied. 

Tehran has previously accused Israel of conducting sabotage attacks on its nuclear facilities.