Washington, 2007/06/01, IRIB

The US State Department on Thursday reiterated a warning to US citizens against travel to Iran. The State department said in a statement: "American citizens may be subject to harassment or arrest while traveling or residing in Iran."

The US State Department warning was issued only a few days after Iranian authorities announced the discovery of a number of US-backed spying and intelligence gathering networks in Iran, and according to analysts is an attempt by Washington to conceal its covert and overt spying operations in Iran and to introduce a red herring, changing the focus of media coverage.

Washington's long history of covert and open interference in Iran's domestic affairs is well-documented, and known to the international opinion.

US hostility towards Iran is nothing new, and successive US governments have tried to interfere in Iran's domestic affairs, trying to impose their hostile policies on Iran. These US efforts have been unsuccessful, largely because of the vigilance, awareness and unity of the Iranian public, who have managed to foil these hostile conspiracies.

The long list of America's anti-Iranian activities during the past three decades includes America's overt support for Saddam Hussein, and selling of lethal weapons to Iraq, during Saddam's eight-year-imposed war on Iran, imposition of various economic and trade sanctions on Iran, logistic, military and financial support for various anti-Iranian terror groups, and allocating substantial budgets for various espionage and spying activities in Iran under the guise of "democracy promotion".

Following the failure of these policies, today Washington seems intent on seeking new ways of infiltrating Iran, and interfering in Iran's internal affairs. For example, the US State department is currently setting up special offices in its diplomatic missions and embassies in Iran's neighbouring countries with the stated aim of bringing about regime change in Tehran. These special offices also coordinate closely and provide support for various anti-Iranian Terror groups based in neighbouring countries. The terror groups have carried out bombings and other clandestine activities in Iran's border regions, particularly in eastern southern and western Iran.

But the recent discovery of a number of spying and espionage networks in Iran, and the arrest of a number of US-backed spies and agents, has for all intents and purposes thwarted this US-British effort to cause turmoil inside Iran.

The warning by the US State Department to US citizens against travel to Iran is really intended to conceal recent hostile US activity against Iran. The State Department warning cites "hostility against Americans", but the truth is that it is hostile US actions against Iran which should be scrutinized and admonished by the international community.

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