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This is the latest twist in the saga of Iran's showdown with the West over its nuclear programme, which has received new impetusafter signs that Tehran might be softening its stance. 

The country's atomic energy chief told a security conference that the alleged saboteurs had been under surveillance for some time. He said they were caught red-handed and are now in the process of being interrogated. He gave no further details. 

There've long been rumours that Israel, which sees Iran's potential development of a nuclear weapon as an existential threat, has sent spies into Iran to disrupt its programme, with some even accusing its agents of killing Iranian nuclear scientists. Israel has warned the US and the West not to be fooled by the recent charm offensive by the new, more moderate Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who had a historic, icebreaking phone call with President Obama a few days ago. 

The Israelis announced their own arrest of an alleged Iranian-born spy in the midst of the new optimism that a genuine resolution of a nuclear standoff could now be on the cards. This latest announcement from Iran shows that underneath the newly hopeful surface, the complex three-dimensional chess game over Iran's nuclear ambitions continues undiminished.