Iranian Foreign Ministry yesterday summoned a Swiss diplomat whose country
represents US interests in the Islamic Republic, to protest against the recent
detention of an Iranian delegation by US forces in Baghdad.
In a statement released by the ministry's media department, Foreign Ministry
spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini called it as an "interventionist act" by the
U.S. forces to arrest "members of an Iranian technical delegation" in their
hotel in Baghdad on Tuesday evening.
"The ministry summoned the Swiss charge d'affaires to express its strong
protest to U.S. behavior which is against the international laws and regulations
and asked for explanations," said Hosseini.
"This action was inconsistent with the responsibilities of foreign forces in
Iraq and it could be another mistake for the United States," he stressed, adding
the detainees had been released Wednesday morning.
The spokesman said the detainees were experts from Iran's energy ministry and
were invited by the Iraqi government to discuss building a power plant in the
war-torn country.
The Iranian delegation was stopped by U.S. troops Tuesday evening in a hotel
in Baghdad and eight Iranians were taken away.
According to the U.S. military, the Iranians were seized because unauthorized
weapons such as AK-47 assault rifle and 9mm pistols were found in their cars.
Later in the hotel, the U.S. forces also seized a laptop, cell phones and a
bag full of Iranian and American money.
This was the second time that U.S. troops captured Iranians in Iraq.
In January, five Iranians were detained in Iraq's northern city of Arbil
under charges of assisting insurgents to fight with coalition forces but Tehran
denied the U.S. accusations. The five men were still in the custody of the
United States.