There are no talks between the United States and Iran on a prisoner exchange, US secretary of state Hillary Clinton said yesterday, one day after Iran raised the possibility of a swap.
"There are no negotiations taking place between the United States and Iran. We believe they should unilaterally release our detained citizens," Mrs Clinton said after a meeting with Bahrain's foreign minister.
Her comments came one day after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said three US citizens detained in Iran and charged with spying could be swapped with Iranians held in the United States.
Mrs Clinton said it was "hard to know" what Mr Ahmadinejad's comments meant. She reiterated that if Iran had any questions about citizens in US custody, it could place a query through the Pakistani embassy, which represents Tehran's interests in Washington in the absence of formal diplomatic ties.
She again appealed to Tehran to release the three Americans, who US officials have said were arrested after they apparently strayed across the border from Iraq.
"We believe they are being unjustly detained and they should be released without further delay," she said.
State Department spokesman PJ Crowley, speaking earlier, said the cases of the three US hikers were not comparable to those of Iranians accused or convicted of crimes.
Reuters