Iran announces dismantling 5 spying cells

TEHRAN

Iran dismantled Tuesday five spying cells linked to the Israeli Mossad, CIA and European intelligence services, according to a deputy intelligence minister for counter-espionage.

"The foreign intelligence officers were planning to conduct espionage activities on Iran's nuclear, political, economic, military and infrastructural projects by using various complicated spying methods," the IRNA news agency quoted the unnamed official.

The official said the espionage was aimed at "blocking Iran's access to knowledge and modern technologies and creating problems in the Islamic Republic of Iran's relations with friendly countries."

He warned "deceived people, traitors and blatant enemies" of Iran and vowed to "rigidly confront the enemies' plots."

*Writing by Mahmoud Barakat