The agents gathered information that could well have led to a neutralization plan that included apprehension, cyber exploitation, or capture/kill operations.

One of those targeted was Alireza Jafarzadeh, deputy director of the American branch of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), who had previously revealed information about Iran’s clandestine nuclear weapons programme to the West.

Federal agents who surveilled the pair heard them discuss Jafarzadeh and other members of the NCRI, including Ali Safavi, and making references to shooting them.

The fact that Iran targeted the MEK, and that the agents’ operation only grew in size following the January uprising in Iran, shows how scared the Regime is of the organised Iranian opposition.

The NCRI has recently called on the US Government to prosecute and/or expel all Ministry of Intelligence (MOIS) and IRGC agents, as well as their proxies. This should not be a big ask, given that both the MOIS and the IRGC are designated for terrorism in the US.

The arrests of these agents follow similar folied attempts to attack the MEK in France in June and Albania in March. The attempted June attack targeted the Free Iran gathering, which was attended by 100,00 people, including 600 politicians and dignitaries, from around the world.

The US delegation included Mayor Rudy Giuliani; Speaker Newt Gingrich; Governor Bill Richardson; Attorney General Michael Mukasey; Director Louis Freeh; Under Secretary Robert Joseph; Senator Bob Torricelli; Frances Townsend; Ambassador Lincoln Bloomfield, and Professor Raymond Tanter.

European authorities arrested three agents and an Iranian diplomat based in Vienna for their roles in the attack and charged them with terrorism.

These three terror plots show that the Iranian Regime is extremely vulnerable, especially given the ongoing protests led by the MEK, but could also mean that we may see more attacks by Iran in coming months.

Prof. Raymond Tanter, a senior member on the Middle East Desk of the National Security Council staff in the Reagan-Bush administration, wrote: “The United States may not want to wait and play defence to counter Iranian terrorist threats.

The best defence is always a good offence. It is time for President Trump to build up even more pressure on the regime with additional sanctions and prosecution of its agents.

Even more important is to stand with the Iranian people and the organized opposition as they seek the bright sunshine of a new day en route to a free Iran!”