DONALD TRUMP has slammed claims Iran smashed an American spy ring as "just more lies and propaganda".

It comes after an Iranian intelligence ministry official appeared in a state TV documentary which brags about capturing CIA spies and sentencing some of them to death.

14 This man was highlighted in the same documentary about alleged US intelligence work

14 This man also appears in the documentary

14 An unnamed Iranian official tells a documentary how authorities struck a blow against American spying

14 This woman was allegedly secretly filmed in Dubai where Iran claims many of the CIA recruiters operate from

The programme describes a CIA spy operation which involved recruiting Iranian civilians to steal secrets on the promise they could emigrate to America.

But it appears to be vague on detail which raises questions about its validity.

An official appears but who did not give his name, and was only identified as the “director of the counterespionage department of Iran's Intelligence Ministry”.

He claimed none of the 17 agents who were caught had succeeded in their missions.

He said: "Those who deliberately betrayed the country were handed to the judiciary... some were sentenced to death and some to long-term imprisonment."

Western looking people are also featured in the programme and are alleged to be the spies' handlers.

Yet they are not named and the photographs resemble those taken by family or friends.

Photographs of some of the men were released by the Iranian intelligence and security forces but they have not been verified by the US or any other government.

The 17 alleged spies are all said to be Iranian nationals with Tehran claiming they were lured by the US with the promise of getting visas.

Donald Trump claims it is getting harder to make a deal with 'lying' Iran

They are said to have been arrested over a 12 month period up until March this year and are said to have been working in "sensitive centres" in military and nuclear facilities and the private sector who had all be working independently of one another.

The spying missions were said to have included collecting information at the facilities they worked at and installing monitoring devices.

Stone like containers were allegedly used to exchange intelligence material.

He also handed out a CD with a video recording of an alleged foreign female spy working for the CIA in Dubai where it's alleged many American spy recruiters are based.

The disc was also said to have included names of several US Embassy staff in Turkey, India, Zimbabwe and Austria who Iran claims were in touch with the recruited Iranian spies.

But Donald Trump tweeted that the report was "totally false".

He said: "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!"

14 Photos of the alleged handlers were posted on online by the Tasnim news agency Credit: Tasmin News Agency

14 The photos did not identify who was pictured Credit: Tasmin News Agency

14 Some of the pictures appeared to be family snaps Credit: Tasmin News Agency

14 The news agency released some names but did not say how they were connected to the allegations Credit: Tasmin News Agency

14 No one was named in the pictures released by the agency Credit: Tasmin News Agency

14 The photos are thought to be the 'handlers' who assisted the spies but little information was released Credit: Tasmin News Agency

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

He also said Iran has "disrespected" the US, adding: "If they want to make a deal, frankly it's getting harder for me to want to make a deal with Iran because they've behaved very badly.

"They're saying bad things."

The President later claimed the White House that Washington was ready for “the absolute worst” from Iran.

“They are really the number one state of terror in the world,” he said during a photo-op with Pakistani President Imran Khan in the Oval Office Monday evening.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in an interview with Fox News: "It's part of their nature to lie to the world.

"I would take with with a significant grain of salt any Iranian assertion about actions they've taken."



'DEATH SENTENCE'

A ministry official said some of those arrested had been sentenced to death, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.

Iran is second only to China in the number of people it executes every year — officially about 500 people are put to death annually on charges ranging from murder, drug dealing to opposing the regime or being gay.

Firing squads or hanging is the preferred method.

According to Amnesty International confessions are extracted under torture and some trials are held in secret.

Today's announcement comes after three months of spiralling confrontation with the West that began when new tighter US sanctions took effect at the start of May.

Last week Iran captured a British tanker in the Strait of Hormuz after Britain's Royal Marines seized an Iranian tanker off the coast of Gibraltar in July 4.

14 It is alleged that stone like containers were used by the CIA spies

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A ministry statement said: "The identified spies were employed in sensitive and vital private sector centres in the economic, nuclear, infrastructural, military and cyber areas... where they collected classified information."

It was not immediately clear if the arrests were linked to the case in which Iran said in June it had exposed a large cyber espionage network it alleged was run by the CIA, and that several US spies had been arrested in different countries as a result of this action.

14 War scare... US Navy sailor, directs a SH-60 Sea Hawk pilot on the flight deck of the amphibious dock landing ship USS Harpers Ferry in the Arabian Sea off Oman this morning Credit: Reuters

14 The Iranian flag was hoisted over seized British tanker Stena Impero Credit: PressTV

14 An Iranian Revolutionary Guard jet boat sails around the seized British-flagged tanker Stena Impero in Bandar Abbas Credit: EPA

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