Turkish intelligence has reported thwarted Iran's plan to assassinate an Israeli businessman in the country.

Authorities have carried out an operation in recent days to apprehend eight suspects in the case, the Sabah newspaper reported.

Reports state that an Iranian spy cell, consisting of nine operatives, some Iranian and some Turkish, was sent to kill Yair Geller, an Israeli-Turkish businessman who lives in Istanbul and owns an engineering company specializing in aerospace technologies.

The planned assassination was supposed to be a response to the assassination of Iranian nuclear chief Mohsen Fakhrizadeh in 2020, which is widely attributed to the Israeli Mossad, as well as a means to prevent warming relations between Ankara and Israel.

Reports state that a group of assassins followed Geller to his home and work and planned to use Turkish citizens to carry out the assassination.

Unknown to the spies, they were being watched by Turkish agents themselves. As soon as they determined that preparations for the assassination were in full swing, they shared the information with the Mossad.

Then Geller was transferred to a safe house, and the Mossad actively helped in his protection. He was invited to move to Israel for security reasons, but he refused.

Meanwhile, eight members of the cell were arrested by the Turkish police. The leader of the cell in Turkey is the Iranian Moshtag Bighouz.

The suspects have been charged with conspiracy to commit a crime.