Three Iranian diplomats briefly detained in Iraq for curfew violation

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/KAR936139.htm

BAGHDAD, June 16 (Reuters) - Three Iranian diplomats were briefly detained in Iraq, the U.S. military said on Saturday, but it played the incident down as a simple curfew break while Tehran condemned it as the latest case of harassment.

Tension between the two longstanding foes is already high after the arrest earlier this year of five Iranians in northern Iraq, while Tehran is holding three U.S.-Iranian citizens on security-related charges.

A U.S. military spokesman said three Iranian diplomats were among a group of 10 people stopped by the Iraqi Army for driving in east Baghdad on Thursday, despite a curfew.

"After questioning, Iraqi officials verified three of the men held Iranian diplomatic passports and thus were released shortly thereafter to their embassy representatives," Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Garver said in a statement.

or have their driving privileges revoked for a week.