Iran: CIA spy ring busted, 17 arrested

Dubai, July 22 

Iran said on Monday it has arrested 17 Iranian nationals allegedly recruited by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to spy on the country’s nuclear and military sites, and that some of them have already been sentenced to death.

The arrests took place over the past months, and those taken into custody worked on “sensitive sites” in the country’s military and nuclear facilities, an Iranian intelligence official told a press conference in Tehran. He did not elaborate, say how many of them were sentenced to death or when the sentences were handed down.

President Donald Trump tweeted that the claim had “zero truth,” calling Iran a “total mess.” The announcement comes as Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers is unraveling and tensions have spiked in the Persian Gulf region. The crisis stems from Trump’s decision to pull the US out of thepact and intensify sanctions on the country.

The Iranian official did not give his name but was identified as the director of the counterespionage department of Iran’s Intelligence Ministry. It’s rare in Iran for intelligence officials to appear before media, or for any official to give a 

press conference without identifying himself.

The official claimed that none of the 17, who allegedly had “sophisticated training,” had succeeded in their sabotage missions. — Agencies