TEHRAN - Iranian authorities said on Saturday they had arrested an
Iranian caught spying for the United States, the Islamic Republic's
latest claim of success in a spying war with Washington.
State TV quoted the Intelligence Ministry as saying the arrested person
had received training at US bases in neighboring Afghanistan and Iraq
and was meant to feed false information to Iranian intelligence.
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'Iran 'spoofed' US drone in order to land it'US fears Iran on verge of 20% enriched uranium"This CIA agent of Iranian nationality began his mission after receiving
training in weapons use," the ministry said in a statement quoted on
television.
"But he was identified by Iranian intelligence agents and his espionage missions were revealed."
He was supposed to launch his mission from Bagram base in Afghanistan,
the intelligence ministry report said, but Iranian intelligence agents
helped him enter Iran and later arrested him.
Current and former US officials told Reuters in November that Iran had
succeeded in uncovering the identities of several CIA informants.
Iran said in May it had arrested 30 people on suspicion of spying for
the United States and last Tuesday 15 people were indicted for spying
for the US and Israel. Spying in Iran can be punishable by death.
On Dec. 4, Iran announced it had
downed a US spy plane in the eastern
part of the country, near Afghanistan. It has since shown the plane on
television and said it is close to cracking its technological secrets.
The United States is leading diplomatic efforts to tighten sanctions on
Iran which it accuses of seeking nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran
denies. The US and Israel say they do not rule out making strikes on
Iran's nuclear sites.