Iran on Monday sought consular contact with its five nationals who were arrested by U.S. forces in northern Iraq in January, the official IRNA news agency reported.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry forwarded a letter to the Swiss Embassy, which looks after the U.S. interests, seeking consular contact with the five "Iranian diplomats," IRNA said.

U.S. forces arrested the five Iranians in January in northern Iraqi city of Arbil, and accused them of being members of Iran's Revolutionary Guards. Iran said the five were diplomats working in Iraq.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry's letter called for arrangements to enable its representative in Baghdad to hold contact with the five Iranians.

Quoting some U.S. and Iraqi officials, the Los Angeles Times reported on Saturday that the five Iranians imprisoned by U.S. forces in Iraq will probably be released in the next few weeks.

The Iranians, who were seized on suspicion of spying during the U.S. raid in Arbil, are up for a six-month review of their cases at the end of June, the officials said.

The officials emphasized that no decision had been made, but said the review offered an opportunity to resolve an issue that has been a point of contention between Washington and Tehran.

Source: Xinhua