007 on 5,000 a month

UAE implicated in Iran election trial

As Iran resumes mass trials of opposition activists and protesters, a detainee pleads guilty to spying for the United Arab Emirates and conducting intelligence work for the US. Reza Rafiyi-Forooshani, who was arrested over the course of Iran's post-vote unrest, was put to trial in Iran's Revolutionary Court on Saturday.

In a report published by Fars News Agency, Rafiyi-Forooshani admitted to having conducted espionage activities for the Intelligence Ministry of the neighboring UAE, located across the Persian Gulf from Iran.

He also confessed to passing information to an Iran policy planner at the US State Department through a monitoring post, reportedly set up in Dubai in 2006. Rafiyi-Forooshani named Jillian Burns, the first director of the Dubai office, as his handler for the US State Department. "I worked for two years for the UAE's intelligence service and received an amount of 5,000 Dirhams (UAD) per month," the defendant said.

"I sent the requested information through mobile calls; of course most of the data were my personal views and not specific information." He has also reportedly provided information on the effects of sanctions on Iran and the country's election-related issues for Nazi Beglari, a journalist working to US-funded VOA news channel.

------

Of course, these are the show trials of the regime in Iran, desperate to cling to power, trying to direct Iranian anger at those thieving Arabs across the Unicorn Gulf. The UAE is sending its top agents into Iran in order to steal the recipe for Chelo-Kabab and Doogh Yogurt drink. It is unknown if the defendant was charged 7,000 dirhams per month by etisalat, leading to the backfiring of the spy operation.