UPDATE - Iran sentences 'CIA spies' to death

UPDATES WITH DETAILS

By Ibrahim Ramadan

TEHRAN (AA) – Iranian authorities said Monday that 17 individuals were convicted of spying for the CIA, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.

"The rulings for these spies have been issued and a number of them will be executed as corruptors on Earth," Fars quoted an official of Iran's intelligence ministry as saying.

The official said the individuals, who were captured last year, "had all received interrogation techniques and were tasked with spying on the country's sensitive centers".

According to the official, the captured spies were working in sensitive and vital positions in economic, nuclear, infrastructure, military and cyber sectors, as well as associated private sector.

He pointed out that some of them were deceived by the CIA to grant them a U.S. visa.

The Iranian official said CIA agents contacted Iranian citizens on the sidelines of scientific conferences in Europe, Africa and Asia, where they requested them to provide intelligence cooperation.

He said the arrested spies were working as single cells in Iran and were not in contact with each other and each was supervised by a CIA officer.

There was no comment from U.S. authorities on the report.