FNA- Head of Iran's Civil Defense Organization Brigadier General Gholam Reza Jalali warned that western-based Telegram channel Sedaei Mardom (formerly known as Amad News) is conducting espionage operations against the country's security.

"Based on our information, the channel Sedaei Mardom is affiliated to the intelligence service of a (western) country and its managers are agents of that intelligence service," General Jalali said on Saturday.

"We look at the channel as a spy; a paid webpage that receives money from foreign states and acts against the Iranian people and security," he said, adding that the US annually allocates large amounts of money to the opposition forces to act against the Islamic Republic.

General Jalali also referred to the negative role played by Telegram during the recent unrests and riots in Iran, and said, "We should seriously change our past attitude towards Telegram."

Sedaei Mardom released fake reports on continued protests in Tehran after the end of unrests and riots in Iran in January.

It also released videos teaching the youth how to build Molotov cocktail and use them against the security forces in Iran.

Iran protested at Telegram for allowing channels like Amad News' activity. Amad News was blocked by Telegram after releasing the violent videos but it restarted its work in less than a couple of hours under the new name of Sedaei Mardom which continues releasing fake reports.