TEHRAN -Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi said on Tuesday that the world acknowledges in Iran’s great anti-intelligence power.

“Enemies and various countries in the world believe in Iran’s intelligence power and the Islamic Republic of Iran has nipped many plots in the bud,” he said on the sidelines of a ceremony.

He also said whenever necessary the people will be informed about the intelligence forces’ actions.

The Intelligence Ministry announced on Monday that it had broken up a CIA spy network and arrested 17 professional spies, some of whom have been sentenced to death by the Judiciary.

According to the director general of the Intelligence Ministry’s counter-espionage department, the spies were employed in sensitive and vital state and private sectors in economic, nuclear, infrastructural, military and cyber centers, where they collected classified information.

“Some citizens were trapped by the U.S. exploitation of their visa requests and were encouraged to spy in exchange for receiving a visa,” the official said. “Some others were blackmailed by the CIA due to their need of maintaining or extending their visas.”

The official added that the move was in violation of the United States’ laws and some of the CIA’s victims succeeded to escape from the trap with the help of their lawyers.

None of the 17 arrested individuals were citizens of other countries, the official stated.

He also said since President Donald Trump assumed office, the United States’ espionage measures against the Islamic Republic have intensified.

NA/PA