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| Version 5 | Version 6 |
|---|---|
| US releases five Iranians in Iraq | US releases five Iranians in Iraq |
| (9 minutes later) | |
| Five Iranian officials held by the US military in Iraq since January 2007 have been handed to Iran's embassy. | Five Iranian officials held by the US military in Iraq since January 2007 have been handed to Iran's embassy. |
| US forces seized the five in the northern city of Irbil on suspicion of arming and funding Shia militias. | US forces seized the five in the northern city of Irbil on suspicion of arming and funding Shia militias. |
| Iran says they are diplomats. Its embassy said it had received the men, who were first moved to Iraqi custody. | Iran says they are diplomats. Its embassy said it had received the men, who were first moved to Iraqi custody. |
| The US state department said the release was not part of a deal with Tehran, but was necessary under a US-Iraqi security pact. | The US state department said the release was not part of a deal with Tehran, but was necessary under a US-Iraqi security pact. |
| Under a key security agreement with the Baghdad government, the US military, which holds thousands of people in jails in Iraq, is obligated to hand all detainees to Iraqi control. | Under a key security agreement with the Baghdad government, the US military, which holds thousands of people in jails in Iraq, is obligated to hand all detainees to Iraqi control. |
| Security concerns | Security concerns |
| The US state department denied that the release was a goodwill gesture or part of an exchange deal for the release of journalist Roxanna Saberi, freed from an Iranian jail in May. | The US state department denied that the release was a goodwill gesture or part of an exchange deal for the release of journalist Roxanna Saberi, freed from an Iranian jail in May. |
| The US has been attempting to engage Iran diplomatically in the hope of persuading it to abandon its alleged nuclear weapons programme. | The US has been attempting to engage Iran diplomatically in the hope of persuading it to abandon its alleged nuclear weapons programme. |
| A US state department spokesman said the five freed officials were "associated with" Iran's Quds force, an elite unit of the Revolutionary Guards. | A US state department spokesman said the five freed officials were "associated with" Iran's Quds force, an elite unit of the Revolutionary Guards. |
| Washington accuses the force of helping to arm and train some Iraqi militants, a claim Tehran denies. | Washington accuses the force of helping to arm and train some Iraqi militants, a claim Tehran denies. |
| The spokesman said the possibility that the five might create security problems in Iraq was "a big concern". | The spokesman said the possibility that the five might create security problems in Iraq was "a big concern". |
| Iran's ambassador in Iraq, Hassan Kazemi-Qomi, described the men as "diplomats" and said they were in good mental health but awaiting physical medical examination, in an interview with state radio. | Iran's ambassador in Iraq, Hassan Kazemi-Qomi, described the men as "diplomats" and said they were in good mental health but awaiting physical medical examination, in an interview with state radio. |
| After the arrests, Washington said the five Iranians had no diplomatic status, but Tehran accused the US of breaching international diplomatic regulations. | After the arrests, Washington said the five Iranians had no diplomatic status, but Tehran accused the US of breaching international diplomatic regulations. |
| The Iraqi authorities said at the time the five Iranians had been in Irbil with official approval, but that their office had not yet been granted full consulate status. | The Iraqi authorities said at the time the five Iranians had been in Irbil with official approval, but that their office had not yet been granted full consulate status. |