Iran 'access' to Iraq detainees

The unconfirmed Irna report said Iran's embassy in Baghdad was sending a representative to see the detainees.

Tehran maintains the five, seized from the consulate in Irbil, northern Iraq, are diplomats, but the US accused them of providing support to insurgents.

Some commentators have viewed Iran's arrest of a UK naval crew in the Gulf as a reaction to the Irbil detentions.

Quoting "reliable sources", Irna gave no details of when any meeting was meant to take place.

"With the continuous efforts of Iran's embassy in Iraq, the co-operation of the Iraqi officials and the help of the UN representative, Iran's representative is supposed to meet our country's diplomats," it quotes the source as saying.

The US military in Iraq said it was checking the report.

'No linkage'

Tehran has lodged strong protests against what it said was the illegal action of US armed forces in capturing the men during a major raid in January.

The Iraqi foreign ministry has also been pressing for their release, backing the Iranian view that the men were engaged in consular duties.

Iranian officials have dismissed any link between the British crew and Iranian detainees in Iraq, while Britain and the US have said any exchange deal would be out of the question.

US troops seized computers and other equipment during the raid on a long-established diplomatic liaison office in Irbil, in mainly Kurdish northern Iraq.

Officials said the equipment showed that Iranian Revolutionary Guards were behind networks supplying technology and material to Iraqi insurgents to help them carry out attacks on US forces.

The BBC's Frances Harrison in Tehran says many commentators have seen a link to the UK detention crisis.

They argue that Tehran reacted aggressively because of the increasing pressure over the nuclear issue and the detention of Iranians inside Iraq, she adds.

RELATED INTERNET LINKS
US Department of Defense
Iraqi Government
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