Baghdad Iranian embassy denies U S troops raid it

BAGHDAD, Jan 23 (Reuters) An official at the Iranian embassy in Baghdad denied a report that U S and Iraqi forces were raiding its compound today.

An Iraqi journalist said he had spoken to a colleague who had seen U S and Iraqi army vehicles surrounding the embassy.

But an official who answered the telephone there said: ''There is nothing happening ... There are no American forces here.'' A U S military spokesman had no immediate comment.

U S officials have said they will move to curb what they say are networks of Iranian agents in Iraq. They have twice before arrested Iranian officials in Iraq in the past month, including five at an Iranian government building two weeks ago.

REUTERS AB BS1618