An American scholar of Iranian descent who was detained in Tehran in May and charged with espionage has indicated he may be freed soon. Kian Tajbakhsh, an internationally renowned social scientist and urban planner, told Western journalists permitted to visit him at the Evin prison, north of Tehran, that he was being held in solitary confinement but was being well treated.

Iranian Intelligence Minister Gholamhussein Mohseni-Ejei says authorities in Tehran have detained several people for having ties with two Iranian-Americans arrested in May.

Three Iranian diplomats were detained and interrogated by U.S. forces in Iraq on Friday. Mohammad Ali Hosseini, the spokesman, condemned the detentions, which he said occurred while they were traveling from Iraq to Iran on Friday to spend the weekend back home.

The U.S. State Department has expressed dismay over the detention or perceived harassment of U.S.-Iranian citizens over what it regards as "groundless charges."

Iran has reiterated espionage charges against two detained U.S.-Iranian scholars. The Iran Students News Agency today quoted Hassan Hadad, Tehran's deputy prosecutor, as saying Haleh Esfandiari and Kian Tajbakhsh have admitted carrying out activities, but they said their intention was helping Iran.

The U.S. State Department has confirmed that Iran has jailed a third Iranian-American. A department spokesman, Tom Casey, says businessman and peace activist Ali Shakeri is being detained at Tehran's Evin prison, in what the official calls part of a disturbing pattern.

Independent academic and human rights groups today are demanding the immediate release of two Iranian-American scholars jailed in Tehran on charges of spying.