Reuters: Iran’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Swiss ambassador to Tehran on Sunday to condemn what it said was U.S. backing of spy networks inside the Islamic Republic, the students’ news agency ISNA reported. TEHRAN (Reuters) – Iran’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Swiss ambassador to Tehran on Sunday to condemn what it said was U.S. backing of spy networks inside the Islamic Republic, the students’ news agency ISNA reported.
The Swiss embassy represents U.S. interests in Iran, because Washington has not had a mission there since 1980, when Iranian students took 52 Americans hostage for 444 days.
“Iran’s strong objection over America and its intelligence services’ hostile interference in Iran’s state matters was conveyed to the ambassador,” ISNA quoted Foreign Ministry official Ahmad Sobhani as saying.
Iran’s Intelligence Ministry said on Saturday that it had uncovered spy networks that were organised by occupying forces in Iraq as well as some Iraqi groups.
“Spy networks, guided by American intelligence services, have recently been discovered in west, southwest and central Iran,” said Sobhani, who delivered Iran’s protest to the Swiss ambassador.
Tehran accuses the United States and Britain, which led the invasion of neighboring Iraq, of seeking to undermine its security
It was not clear if the “spy networks” were linked to Iran’s recent detention of Iranian-Americans, including U.S.-based scholar Haleh Esfandiari, whom the ministry has accused of being linked to efforts to undermine the Iranian government.
The United States has dismissed the accusations and called for her release.
Iranian and U.S. officials hold a rare face-to-face meeting in Iraq on Monday to discuss security in the country.
