American ex-marine sentenced to death in Iran

An American ex-marine has been accused of spying and sentenced to death by a court in Iran. According to CNN, Amir Mirzaei Hekmati was convicted of being involved with the CIA. 

CNN quotes Fars news agency, saying the ex-marine was also convicted of “working for an enemy country” and trying to accuse Iran of being involved in terrorism. 

Hekmati was arrested five months ago, furthering tension between the U.S. and Iran. His family and the U.S. government deny the accusations.

The U.S. State Department is looking into the situation to confirm that reports of the sentence are accurate.