Beefed up security measures have been taken by US authorities at all Greek diplomatic and consular offices in the United States, following recent telephone threats received by the foreign ministry in Athens and Greece's Consulate General in Los Angeles threatening attacks against Greek diplomatic missions abroad, it was announced on Tuesday night.

The police guard at the General Consulate in New York has been increased, while all visitors are searched, Consul General Evangelos Kyriakopoulos told ANA-MPA.

Foreign ministry spokesman Grigoris Delavekouras had confirmed on Monday that the foreign ministry has received threats against Greek diplomatic missions abroad. He said that an unidentified caller claiming to belong to an Iranian organisation contacted the Greek General Consulate in Los Angeles on October 13 and threatened attacks against the personnel and buildings of Greek embassies and consulates abroad unless political asylum was granted to Iranians in Greece who have made such a request.

The spokesman added that the local U.S. authorities were immediately alerted and had taken heightened security measures to protect the Greek missions in the United States.

Kyriakopoulos told ANA-MPA that in the past few days anonymous e-mails have been sent to the General Consulate in New York regarding the asylum-seeking Iranians in Greece, clarifying, however that "the messages were not threatening", nor were threatening phone calls received.

"We are awaiting the assessment of the threats received by our Consulate in Los Angeles," he added.