U.S. says five detained Iranians going through review process

The United States said Wednesday that the five Iranians detained by U.S. forces in Iraq in January are still being detained and they are going through a normal review process.

"What I can confirm for you is that they are still being detained and that they are going to go through the normal review process," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said of the five Iranians.

"They're being held under mandates, (UN) Security Council mandates as well as Iraqi law," McCormack said, adding that under Iraqi law, there's a provision that security detainees, there is a review of the status of all security detainees for every six months.

Depending on the outcome of the review process, there might be a possibility for the five Iranians to be returned to Iran. However, "I can't tell you (what) is going to be the outcome," McCormack said.

U.S. forces in Iraq seized the five Iranians in a raid of an Iranian facility in January in northern Iraq and accused them of being Iranian agents. Iran has said they are diplomats and demands their immediate release.

Source: Xinhua