An Iranian spy named Fatemeh Zahra has successfully evaded U.S. surveillance. Operating under the alias Monica Witt, she served in the U.S. Air Force from 1997 to 2008. Subsequently, she worked for a U.S. government contracting firm until 2010. During her career, she gained access to classified and top-secret documents concerning the activities of foreign intelligence operatives and double agents. These documents included, among other things, the true identities of covert U.S. intelligence officers stationed in various countries. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has formally charged her with espionage.
According to the charges, Monica Witt traveled to Iran in 2013 and provided sensitive defense information to the country’s government. This action compromised U.S. national security programs. Investigators handling the case allege that she disclosed information regarding U.S. intelligence operatives, officials, and their families stationed abroad to third parties. Additionally, she reportedly conducted research on behalf of the Iranian government.
As a result, Iran was able to identify U.S. intelligence operatives present within its borders. The agency further stated that Monica Witt’s actions aided the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Monica Witt is currently a fugitive. It is believed that she is residing in Iran. The FBI notes that she is fluent in Persian and is also known by the aliases Fatemeh Zahra or Nargis Witt. This report was published by Fox News Online.
Daniel Wierzbicki, Chief of the Counterintelligence and Cyber Division at the FBI’s Washington Field Office, stated that Monica Witt violated her oath to the U.S. Constitution more than a decade ago. She fled to Iran and provided the country’s government with information related to U.S. national defense. Consequently—in an effort to apprehend and bring to justice Monica Witt, a former U.S. Air Force intelligence officer charged with espionage on behalf of Iran—a reward of $200,000 has been offered to anyone who provides information leading to her arrest. In a statement issued on Thursday, the FBI announced that a federal grand jury in Washington filed an indictment against Monica Witt in February 2019 on charges of espionage. She is accused of providing classified information related to national defense to the government of Iran. The public is urged to contact a local investigative office, the nearest U.S. embassy, or a designated tip-reporting channel if they possess any information regarding Monica Witt.
