Israel says it has thwarted a plot to assassinate its national security minister by a network being run from Iran.

The Israeli security agency, Shin Bet, disclosed on Wednesday that they had arrested two Arab-Israelis and three Palestinians who were planning to establish a terrorist network for carrying out attacks against public figures.

The operation, conducted in collaboration with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israel Police, successfully exposed and thwarted the activities of these terrorists operating from the West Bank. The group was receiving guidance from an individual residing in Jordan who acted on behalf of Iranian security officials, reported I24.

The arrested individuals were identified as Murad Kamamaja, 47, Hassan Mojarimah, 34, and Ziad Shanti, 45. Additionally, two Israeli citizens living in the northern part of the country, Hamad Hammadi and Yosef Hamad, were also apprehended.

Kamamaja and Mojarimah had been tasked with smuggling illegal weapons into Israeli territory and gathering intelligence on protected individuals and senior public figures.

Controversial National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, known for his right-wing views, and former Likud lawmaker Yehuda Glick, were among the intended targets.

The Iranian security forces had instructed the agents for "the execution of terrorist activity within the territories of Israel, including, by setting fire to the vehicles of Israeli citizens."

The allegations against Iran come as tensions between Iran and Israel escalate over the Islamic Republic's nuclear program. Last week, the Israeli Prime Minister stated in a public address at the United Nations that, in order for the Islamic Republic to abandon its nuclear weapon development, it is necessary to confront it with a "credible military threat."