IRANIAN President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said today that Iran and the United States were discussing a possible exchange of prisoners held by the two countries.

Mr Ahmadinejad, when asked during an interview on state television about the fate of three American hikers detained in Iran, said: "They have arrested our citizens for nothing ... this is very bad...now there are talks whether it is possible to do an exchange (of prisoners)."

"We said that we do not like to imprison anybody. Now they have given some messages and we replied that we bring these (the three Americans) and they bring them (Iranians held in US prisons) and let us see what happens."

Three American hikers Sarah Shourd, Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal were arrested on July 31 after allegedly straying across the border from Iraq's Kurdistan region.

Top US officials, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, have repeatedly urged Iran to free the trio.

Iranian officials have accused Washington of detaining 11 Iranians "illegally" in the United States, including a nuclear scientist Shahram Amiri who went missing in Saudi Arabia while on pilgrimage to Mecca last year.

Iranian officials have accused Washington of kidnapping Amiri from Saudi Arabia.

Heral Sun

3 Feb, 2010

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