U.S. frees nine seized Iranians

Nine Iranians held by the U.S. military in Iraq were released today because they no longer posed a security threat, the military said in a statement.

The freed Iranians included two who were among five captured in January on suspicion of assisting Shiite Muslim militias.

U.S. officials accused the five men of being members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ elite Quds Force.

Tehran has maintained that they are diplomats.

“All nine individuals were determined to no longer pose a security risk and to be of no continued intelligence value,” the statement said.