Cairo: Egyptian authorities on Sunday released an Iranian diplomat accused of spying on Egypt and the Gulf countries after a probe, reported the official Middle East News Agency.
The release came after the Higher State Security Prosecution was notified that the Iranian man, a member of the Iranian Interest Section Cairo, is a diplomat, added the agency.
“He has set up a number of spying networks and tasked its elements with collecting political, economic and military information about Egypt and the Gulf countries in return for money,” the agency quoted a source at the Egyptian intelligence service as saying.
He added that the man is originally from the Iranian Ministry of Security and Intelligence.
The diplomat, identified as Qassim al-Husseini, had been arrested on Saturday and Egyptian authorities are expected to deport him soon.
Intensifying spying activities follow a popular revolt that toppled former president Hosni Mubarak, taking advantage of a security vacuum in the country, according to investigators quoted by the agency.
There was no immediate word if other suspected spies were detained.
The incident came amid mutual bids by Cairo and Tehran to improve their ties, which have been strained for the past 30 years.
