The State Department demanded the immediate release of Siamak and Baqher Namazi, both Iranian-American dual nationals, after their sentences were announced yesterday.
But foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi told Iranian media: "The government and the Iranian people give no importance to the statements and interference of American officials and their efforts to divide the ranks of the Iranian people.
"The American threats only add to the wall of mistrust Iranians have regarding the United States."
Both were jailed for 10 years for "espionage and collaboration with the American government", Tehran prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolat-Abadi announced yesterday.
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Three other Iranian-American dual nationals - Farhad Abd-Saleh, Kamran Ghaderi and Alireza Omidvar - were also sentenced to 10 years on the same charges, along with a US resident from Lebanon, Nezar Zaka.
Siamak Namazi, a well-connected business consultant who has supported Iranian reformists and sought to promote ties between Iran and the United States, was arrested as he arrived in Tehran a year ago.
Conservatives in Iran have criticised attempts by the moderate government of President Hassan Rouhani to improve ties with the West following a nuclear deal with world powers last year.
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