US says Iran spy charges false

The United States said Tuesday that an American of Iranian descent who was arrested in Iran has been falsely accused of being a US spy.

State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the Swiss embassy, which represents US interests in Iran, has yet to be given access to Amir Mirzai Hekmati, who was shown on state television confessing to be a spy for the CIA. Asked if the US government believed Hekmati has been falsely accused of being a spy, Nuland said, "We do." (AFP)