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Visiting Iranians held by U.S. in Baghdad - report

28 Aug 2007 21:09:04 GMT
Source: Reuters

TEHRAN, Aug 28 (Reuters) - U.S. soldiers arrested members of an Iranian delegation on Tuesday in Baghdad, where they were on a visit to sign an electricity supply contract, Iran's official IRNA news agency reported.

The agency did not say how many people were in the Iranian team or how many had been detained. It cited "local witnesses" for some parts of the report.

The United States has been holding five Iranians since January. Washington says the men are linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guards and were providing support to militants. Tehran denies the U.S. charges, says the five are diplomats and has demanded their release.

"American soldiers on Tuesday night arrested members of an Iranian delegation sent by the Energy Ministry," the IRNA report said, adding that they had been detained in a hotel in central Baghdad.

It said the delegation had an invitation from an Iraqi minister.

The report said U.S. troops had surrounded the hotel, then searched the rooms and belongings of the Iranians before taking them away in four military Hummer vehicles.

Iranian officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

The United States accuses Iran of stoking violence in Iraq, but Iran insists it has a vested interest in a stable neighbour and blames the presence of U.S. troops for the bloodshed.

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Last updated:Tue Aug 28 21:09:55 2007