TEHRAN – Iran has arrested a spy who had links with the CIA, the public relations department of the Intelligence Ministry said in a statement released on Saturday.

“The U.S. government, in line with hostile and comprehensive intelligence and operational measures against the Islamic Republic of Iran and the honored people of our country, had made a hefty investment and devised a complex and large-scale scheme to create the possibility to infiltrate into the intelligence apparatus of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the statement read.

“Along these lines, the U.S. intelligence agency CIA had tasked one of its intelligence analysts, who had experiences such as working at intelligence centers of the United States Army and had visited the country’s military base(s) in Afghanistan and Iraq, with playing out the complex intelligence-operational scenario,” it added.

The statement also said, “In the scenario, the spy in question had to position himself in intelligence corridors leading to the Intelligence Ministry of the Islamic Republic of Iran in order to introduce fraudulent information to the ministry on a massive scale and conduct espionage in the next stage.”

“The Iranian-born CIA officer started his mission and collected data through a series of purposeful and planned activities after receiving complicated intelligence training in several phases and entering the region. However, through the vigilance of (intelligence agents), he was identified upon arriving at Bagram base in Afghanistan, and his (intention to conduct) espionage and the mission given to him were brought to light,” it added.

“The spy in question was kept under surveillance by intelligence personnel of the Islamic Republic of Iran and was under surveillance after entering our country’s soil and was arrested… when he started his spying mission,” the statement read.

“The CIA’s espionage plan was revealed and scuttled in this way, and once again, the enemies’ evil intentions were foiled through the intelligence supremacy and power of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” it said.

The Intelligence Ministry also said in the statement that more details of the case will be released in the next few days.