Iran has arrested 30 people accused of spying for the United States.

The alleged spies were members of a CIA spy network, Iran’s security ministry said May 21 in a statement read on state-run television, according to reports.

The statement said that Iran had identified 42 other U.S. spies on Iran in other Middle East countries, including Malaysia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, and had fed misinformation to the CIA through double agents.

Spying is punishable by death in Iran. — jta