JEDDAH: The Kingdom’s security forces have uncovered attempts by Iranian-linked spies to set up a special Shiite center in Makkah after they had met with top leaders in Tehran’s government.
Members of the cell had also communicated with diplomatic staff at the Iranian mission in Riyadh, and those officials representing the country at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in the Kingdom, according to a report published in local media on Monday.
Sources quoted by Asharq Al-Awsat said that the Iranian Embassy in Riyadh had participated in spying activities. They held several meetings with members of the spy cell in their homes and private cars.
“Iranian Intelligence provided financial rewards and monthly salaries for members of the spy network, and had arranged meetings between them, and with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and others in Turkey, Lebanon, China and Malaysia,” the sources were quoted as saying.
The sources said the network’s members used foreign currencies in cooperation with a financial analyst working at a Saudi bank, who provided financial services to Iranian intelligence operatives.
The sources said one of the members of the group was a Saudi citizen, who had been taking religious lessons, and who had met international terrorists in Iran.
The terrorists were involved in bombing a housing compound for American soldiers in Alkhobar.

Source: ARAB NEWS, 2 March 2016