Iran's secret services claim to have arrested several people on charges of spying for the U.S. and seeking to disrupt the country’s elections, Daily Mail reports.

Intelligence Minister Heidar Moslehi was quoted by state TV as saying the suspects were in touch with their CIA contacts through the Internet.

He said that the alleged spies were working for the CIA and kept in contact with each other through social networking.

Mr Moslehi told IRNA that “the detainees were in contact with abroad through cyberspace networks.” He added: “We arrested them after we obtained full information about their espionage activities.”

He did not identify them, and did not say how many were arrested or when, but accused them of plotting to disrupt the country's parliamentary elections on March 2.

Iran periodically announces the capture or execution of alleged U.S. or Israeli spies, and often no further information is released.