Iran accuses those seeking education abroad of being spies

Reuters:

Iran's intelligence minister said Iran had identified 100 people he described as U.S. and Israeli agents and said some were arrested trying to leave Iran to attend "spying" courses abroad, state TV reported on Thursday.

Iran's highest authority, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has previously warned about a "velvet revolution" -- a supposed U.S. plot to use intellectuals and others inside the country to bring about "regime change."

Intelligence Minister Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei was quoted by state television as saying Iran had "identified 100 American and Israeli spies at the Iranian border. They were planning to obtain military and political information within Iran."

He did not give any nationalities and it was not clear to which border point he referred, but several Iranian activists and journalists in recent weeks have been detained or barred from leaving Iran at airports on the way to courses abroad.

"We were able to identify and arrest all those who were leaving the country with the excuse of passing educational courses and with the aim of attending spying training courses," Mohseni-Ejei told a gathering of clerics in the city of Qom.

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There may have been a translation problem, but if not the Iranian statements are incoherent. They are saying that people leaving the country were "planning to obtain military and political information within Iran." Wouldn't it be more likely that people with such plans would be entering the country and not leaving? Where does one sign up for "spying training courses"?

My speculation is that the announcement is political theater to cover concerns that an Iranian nuke scientist was assassinated by Mossad agents.