Iranian Prosecutor: 15 'Spies' for U.S., Israel Indicted
Iran has indicted 15 people on charges of spying for the United States and Israel, Tehran's chief prosecutor said Tuesday, according to the Fars news agency.
"An indictment has been issued by the prosecutor's office against these 15 people," Jafari Dolatabi was quoted as saying.
"They were spying for the United States and Israel," he said.
Dolatabi did not identify the suspects nor give any details of when they were arrested and under what circumstances.
Iranian officials have several times in the past announced the arrest of suspected spies for the United States, but provided little information to substantiate the detentions or allegations.
In May, Iran's intelligence ministry announced the arrest of 30 CIA "spies" conducting espionage and sabotage.
It provided few specifics beyond saying the alleged ring promised U.S. visas and residency to educated Iranians in several Muslim countries in a bid to gather information on Iran's infrastructure and its nuclear, aeronautic, defense and bio-tech sectors.
Iran regularly accuses the United States of seeking to undermine its regime through covert operations.
In 1953, the CIA mounted a coup to overthrow Iran's democratically elected government and install an authoritarian regime headed by a pliant shah.
After Iran's 1979 revolution ousted the shah, and Islamic students subsequently stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehran and took 52 Americans inside hostage for 444 days, the United States cut off diplomatic ties with Iran.
Evidence of part of the U.S. spying program towards Iran came to light last week when the Islamic republic displayed a U.S. reconnaissance drone it said it had captured.
Source: Agence France Presse
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