Iran claimed Monday it had arrested 17 Iranian citizens, alleging they had spied on behalf of the United States, and some of them have already been executed.
An official who said he was the director of counterespionage in the Intelligence Ministry said at a news conference in Tehran that the arrested Iranians had been trained by the CIA, but provided few details to defend the allegations.
The official would not give his name or say how many of those arrested had been executed.
Iran made similar announcements in April and June.
President Trump said there was “zero truth” to Iran’s claims. “The Report of Iran capturing CIA spies is totally false,” he tweeted Monday.
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. Their Economy is dead, and will get much worse. Iran is a total mess!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 22, 2019
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also dismissed the claims, saying the Iranian regime has “a long history of lying.”
The CIA declined to comment to the Washington Examiner.
The claims come during a standoff between Tehran and Washington following Trump’s decision to pull out of the nuclear deal and impose sanctions on Iran. Iran responded to the U.S. actions by threatening to prevent tankers from passing through the Strait of Hormuz. It also shot down a U.S. naval surveillance drone.
Tensions further escalated last week when the Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps seized a British-flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz.
