US urges release of three accused of spying in Iran

Washington, May 30 (Reuters) The White House said today it was preposterous for Iran to accuse three Iranian-Americans detained in Tehran of spying and called for their release.

Tehran has charged three dual citizens of acting against national security and spying. They are academic Haleh Esfandiari, social scientist Kian Tajbakhsh and journalist Parnaz Azima.

''Let me just put it this way We think that the Iranian-Americans need to be released,'' said White House spokesman Tony Snow.

''The idea that they are spies is preposterous. They ought to be given the freedom to return to visit their families within Iran as they have in the past and also return to their families here in the United States,'' Snow said.

Tehran accuses Washington of using intellectuals and others inside the country to undermine the Islamic Republic through what it calls ''velvet revolution''.

On Monday officials from the two countries, antagonists since Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution, met in Baghdad for talks on how to end the conflict in Iraq. The countries are also at odds over Iran's nuclear program.

REUTERS RS KN2030