Iran Arrests 5 Iranians for Spying for Foreign Powers

An Iranian man walks past a mural displaying an outline of Iran, adorned in the colors of the country's national flag, in Tehran. (Getty Images file photo)
An Iranian man walks past a mural displaying an outline of Iran, adorned in the colors of the country's national flag, in Tehran. (Getty Images file photo)
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Iran Arrests 5 Iranians for Spying for Foreign Powers

An Iranian man walks past a mural displaying an outline of Iran, adorned in the colors of the country's national flag, in Tehran. (Getty Images file photo)
An Iranian man walks past a mural displaying an outline of Iran, adorned in the colors of the country's national flag, in Tehran. (Getty Images file photo)

Iranian authorities have arrested five Iranians on charges of spying for Israel, Britain and Germany, convicting and handing down prison sentences on at least two of them, the judiciary said on Tuesday.

"In recent months, five Iranians who were spying for foreign intelligence services have been arrested," judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili said in a virtual news conference.

Shahram Shirkhani spied for British intelligence services and tried to recruit some Iranian officials for Britain's MI6 agency, Esmali said.

Shirkhani had passed on classified information about Iran's Central Bank and Defense Ministry contracts, he said. He has been convicted and received a prison sentence.

Masoud Mosaheb, who was secretary-general of the Iran-Austria friendship association, also has been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for spying for Israel's Mossad and the German intelligence services, the spokesman said.

He gave no details on the other three detainees.



B-2 Bombers Moving to Guam amid Middle East Tensions, US Officials Say

A US Air Force B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber (C) is flanked by four US Marine Corps F-35 fighters during a flyover of military aircraft down the Hudson River and New York Harbor past York City, and New Jersey, US, July 4, 2020. (Reuters)
A US Air Force B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber (C) is flanked by four US Marine Corps F-35 fighters during a flyover of military aircraft down the Hudson River and New York Harbor past York City, and New Jersey, US, July 4, 2020. (Reuters)
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B-2 Bombers Moving to Guam amid Middle East Tensions, US Officials Say

A US Air Force B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber (C) is flanked by four US Marine Corps F-35 fighters during a flyover of military aircraft down the Hudson River and New York Harbor past York City, and New Jersey, US, July 4, 2020. (Reuters)
A US Air Force B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber (C) is flanked by four US Marine Corps F-35 fighters during a flyover of military aircraft down the Hudson River and New York Harbor past York City, and New Jersey, US, July 4, 2020. (Reuters)

The United States is moving B-2 bombers to the Pacific island of Guam, two US officials told Reuters on Saturday, as President Donald Trump weighs whether the United States should take part in Israel's strikes against Iran.

It was unclear whether the bomber deployment is tied to Middle East tensions.

The B-2 can be equipped to carry America's 30,000-pound GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, designed to destroy targets deep underground. That is the weapon that experts say could be used to strike Iran's nuclear program, including Fordow.

The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, declined to disclose any further details. One official said no forward orders had been given yet to move the bombers beyond Guam. They did not say how many B-2 bombers are being moved.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.