Iran foreign ministry: Iran kidnap plot is ‘imaginary story’

NEW YORK — An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Wednesday that accusations by U.S. authorities that Iran is plotting to kidnap Iranians abroad who criticize the country are “baseless and ridiculous.” The spokesperson, Saeed Khatibzadeh, was quoted by Iran’s semiofficial ISNA news agency a day after U.S. federal authorities in New York announced criminal charges against four Iranian intelligence operatives. Later Wednesday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told a briefing that Iran’s “actions to attempt to silence the voices of those peacefully working to address the situation both inside of Iran and outside of Iran are appalling.” “We categorically condemn Iran’s dangerous and despicable reported plot to kidnap a U.S. citizen on U.S. soil,” she said. She said law enforcement actions like those announced Tuesday were part of a strategy to defend U.S. citizens and interests that includes actions taken to defend U.S. forces from Iranian-backed militant groups and diplomatic efforts to constrain Iran’s nuclear program. She is a prominent figure on Farsi-language satellite channels abroad that critically view Iran and has worked as a contractor for U.S.-funded Voice of America’s Farsi-language network since 2015.