Iran denies link to alleged spy cell in Saudi Arabia

TEHRAN

Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday denied having any links to an alleged spy cell operating in Saudi Arabia.

The denial came one day after a Saudi court sentenced 15 people to death for allegedly passing classified Saudi information on to Iranian intelligence.

Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi described the Saudi claims as "unfounded and politically motivated".

"The Islamic Republic of Iran has not carried out any activity in Saudi Arabia that violates international law or diplomatic principles," Qassemi was quoted as saying by Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency.

"These baseless accusations are being leveled for political reasons," he said.

He went on to assert that Iranian policy vis-à-vis the Gulf States was based on mutual respect and non-interference in other countries’ domestic affairs.

Tension has soared between Sunni-led Saudi Arabia and Shiite Iran since Riyadh officially severed ties with Tehran early this year after two of its diplomatic missions in Iran were stormed by Iranian protesters.

The incident at the two diplomatic missions was prompted by the execution of prominent Shia cleric Nimr Baqir al-Nimr by the Saudi authorities.

Riyadh also accuses Tehran of supporting Yemen's Shia Houthi group, which overran capital Sanaa and other parts of Yemen in 2014, forcing the country’s Saudi-backed government to temporarily flee to Riyadh.

Reporting by Khalaf Rasha; Writing by Mahmoud Barakat;