TEHRAN - Britain’s troubled relations with Iran suffered a further setback as a British embassy official confessed to spying during a trial in Tehran, saying that Britain had provided financial assistance to Iran’s reformists to weaken the hardline clerical regime during the disputed presidential elections in June this year.

Hossein Rassam, a political analyst with the embassy, said the embassy had allocated a budget of 300,000 pounds to set up links with political groups, individuals and activists.

“My main responsibility was to gather information from Tehran and other cities by setting up contacts with individuals and other influential parties and political groups and send reports to London,” The Sunday Times quoted Rassam, as saying.

He further said that before the election he had personally made contact with the Mir Hossein Mousavi’s campaign headquarters.

Rassam also highlighted that due to Britain’s hostile policies towards Iran and fear of exposure, the embassy had employed local staff to establish such contacts.

Rassam was paraded in Tehran’s Revolutionary Square in a mass show trial along with numerous opposition figures who were accused of crimes, including rioting, spying and plotting a “soft overthrow” of the regime after the elections.

Meanwhile, Rassam has apologised for “his mistakes”, and appealed for mercy.

The charge of espionage carries the death sentence in Iran. (ANI)