AP By DEREK GATOPOULOS, COSTAS KANTOURIS and JOSEF FEDERMANMarch 28, 2023

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu late Tuesday said his country’s intelligence agency Mossad helped Greece prevent a terrorist attack planned against at least one Jewish site in Athens.

Greek authorities said earlier that two men described as being of Pakistani origin, who were not named, had been arrested for allegedly planning an attack on a Jewish restaurant. The attack was considered to be imminent and to be intended to cause extensive loss of life.

The suspects were charged Tuesday with terrorism offenses, while a third man believed to be outside Greece has been charged in absentia with similar offenses.

A statement from Netanyahu’s office maintained that the attackers were linked to Iran.

“After the start of the investigation of the suspects in Greece, the Mossad rendered intelligence assistance in unraveling the infrastructure, its work methods and the link to Iran,” the statement said.