United Nations: Iran's UN mission says an Iranian identified in an Associated Press story as being under surveillance by the New York Police Department and as a potential spy by the FBI was being illegally harassed and was not involved in spying.

The case of the Iranian man, Gulam Zadeh Mahabadi Hussain, who was described as working closely with his country's UN mission, was used by the AP to illustrate the dysfunctional relationship between the NYPD and the FBI.

Documents showed the NYPD began surveillance of Hussain because they believed he had technology expertise and ties to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.

A former NYPD official familiar with Hussain, dubbed "Dasher", said the NYPD was worried that people like him might be used as an Iranian proxy to launch an attack against New York.