Trump Denies Iran Has Captured 17 CIA Spies
US President Donald Trump said Iran’s claim that it has captured 17 people spying for the US is “totally false,” as tensions continue to ratchet up between the two nations after the US said it downed an Iranian drone last week.
“The Report of Iran capturing CIA spies is totally false. Zero truth. Just more lies and propaganda (like their shot down drone) put out by a Religious Regime that is Badly Failing and has no idea what to do,” the president said in a tweet. He added, “Their Economy is dead, and will get much worse. Iran is a total mess!”
On Monday, a senior Iranian intelligence officer told reporters in Tehran that Iran has detained CIA-trained Iranian nationals who were attempting to gather information on the country’s military and nuclear capabilities.
“The rulings for these spies have been issued and a number of them will be executed as corruptors on Earth,” said the intelligence officer, who was not identified. Iran’s semiofficial news agency Fars describes him as the director-general of the intelligence ministry’s counterespionage department.
The Iranian reports do not specify how many of the alleged spies were set to be executed, or when that might happen.
