Police in Greece acted on intelligence supplied by Israel’s Mossad to arrest two men suspected of planning a “mass casualty” attack on a kosher restaurant in Athens run by Chabad.

It is understood that the suspects are Shia Pakistanis, and are believed to have been working with Iran’s Islamic Republican Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) – the Iranian regime agency that sponsors terrorism abroad, and has been accused of mounting surveillance of prominent British Jews.

The Mossad said in a statement that those detained were part of a “wide Iranian network that operates from Iran and out of many countries”.

The statement added: “After the investigation of the suspects started in Greece, the Mossad assisted in uncovering intelligence related to the infrastructure, methods of operation and connection to Iran.”

Greek security sources told local media that two men, aged 27 and 29, were planning to attack the restaurant, a synagogue and Israelis in Athens. Greece is a popular tourist destination for Israelis, with many due to visit next week over the Pesach holiday.

“Their aim was not only to cause the loss of life of innocent citizens, but also to undermine the sense of security in the country, while hurting public institutions and threatening Greece’s international relations,” Greek police said in a statement.

Last month, the JC reported that Iranian forced we planning attacks on Diaspora targets around the world, an allegation confirmed by UK security minister Tom Tugendhat, who says 15 lethal plots directed by Iran have come to light in the past year, some of them directed against Jews.