Various Turkish and Middle East sources are reporting that Iranian intelligence attempted to spy on the major US airbase at Incirlik, and that a cell of Iranian agents has been busted.

The report, originally in Turkey's Sabah newspaper on Wednesday, said that Turkish intelligence and Istanbul police detained six people across five provinces. The report claims the cell was led by Iranian intelligence codenamed "Haji" and another codenamed "Doctor".

A Turkish asset is alleged to have hired people to take photos and videos of the Incirlik Air Base in Adana, which has been jointly controlled by Ankara and Washington for decades, and which plays host to American tactical nuclear weapons as part of a broader NATO nuclear-sharing program.

Incirlik Air Base played a vital role in US and allied covert operations to oust Assad in Syria, and has over the past decade been featured in global headlines, especially connected with the CIA's 'Timber Sycamore' regime change operation aimed at Damascus.

The Iranians were of course closely allied with Assad during the lengthy proxy war, and have since retreated from Syria, also as Lebanon's Hezbollah has been removed from the country.

The region is on edge amid a US naval and air force build-up in the Gulf, and as President Trump threatens action against Tehran. If a major conflict were to break out, US officials fear that Iran could hit regional US bases in retaliation.

They have closely watched threats out of Tehran officials, including the latest from Iran's parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who warned earlier this month:

“In the event of an attack on Iran, both the occupied territories and all American military centres, bases, and ships in the region will be our legitimate targets,” Qalibaf said during a parliamentary session.

"We do not consider ourselves limited to responding after the act and will take action based on any objective signs of a threat," he added.

Sabah reported that one among the some half-dozen people belonging to the alleged Iranian intelligence cell is an Iranian citizen. They've been detained by Istanbul Criminal Courts of Peace on charges of "obtaining confidential state information for political or military espionage purposes."

Curious timing indeed...

As for what specific intel or photographs they were able to capture, such details are undisclosed at this point. The story has since been picked up by The Washington Post and other US media.

The government of Turkey is actually against any potential new Washington regime change war in Iran. For one, it could unleash a wave of refugees, as far eastern Turkey actually borders the Islamic Republic. The two countries share a nearly 350-mile border, and have lately tried to keep relations stable, even amid Washington's threatened action.