Iranian authorities said on Monday that security agencies had arrested 17 suspects and sentenced some of them to death after dismantling a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) spy ring in a case announced last month.

The agencies “successfully dismantled a [CIA] spy network on July 18,” the head of counter-intelligence at the Iranian intelligence ministry, whose identity was not revealed, told reporters in Tehran.

"Some were sentenced to death and some to long-term imprisonment."

They were arrested during the Iranian calendar year that ended in March 2019, according to an Intelligence Ministry statement read on state television.

Iranian media published pictures purportedly showing the “CIA officers” who were in touch with a group of spying suspects were arrested.

In June, Iran had announced it had broken up a CIA spy ring. It was unclear whether Monday's announcement was linked to the same case.