TEHRAN – The Iranian intelligence service has broken up a spy network linked to the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency and arrested 30 U.S.-linked spies.

In a statement published on Saturday, the ministry announced that it managed to identify and break up the complicated spy network and identify 42 CIA intelligence officers in different countries through carrying out major intelligence and counterespionage operations at home and abroad.
According to the statement, a number of CIA intelligence officers established the network in several countries and started setting various traps for Iranian citizens to elicit information from them and convince them to spy for the United States.
The network used a number of employment and immigration agencies as covers for its activities and tried to deceive citizens through making promises like permanent residence, education, and job in foreign countries.
In addition, the statement says thorough investigation revealed that CIA officers used the U.S. intelligence bases, embassies, and consulates in countries like the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and Malaysia to trap Iranian citizens including students into passing on information about Iran’s research centers, nuclear facilities, universities, aviation industry, defense sector, communications networks, banking system, airports, and customs.
The Intelligence Ministry also advised citizens to deal carefully with suspicious and anonymous phone calls and contacts and try not to fall into the U.S. intelligence agencies’ traps.