Israel’s special forces are operating inside Iran

Jerusalem: Israel's special forces are operating inside Iran in an ''urgent'' bid to locate its secret uranium enrichment facilities, a media report said.

An unnamed Israeli intelligence source told British newspaper 'The Sunday Times' that the forces found several suspected sites last year and believe that more such facilities exist, Ha'aretz daily reported.

The British newspaper also quoted Israeli sources as saying that their forces are based in northern Iraq, where they are ''guarded by Israeli soldiers with the approval of the Americans.''

Israeli officials have several times in the past hinted at a military action to foil Tehran's nuclear ambitions which they have dubbed an ''existential threat'' to the Jewish state, but pledged to continue with the diplomatic track for the time being.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad responded to Israel's vociferous calls for international sanctions against Tehran last year by calling for the wiping off of the Jewish state from the world map.

Iran maintains that its nuclear programme is for civilian purposes but the United States and Israel reject such claims.