Iraq confirms kidnapped Iranian diplomat freed

Baghdad & Tehran: Iraq's foreign minister confirmed on Tuesday that an Iranian diplomat kidnapped in Baghdad two months ago had been released.

Gunmen in Iraqi army uniforms seized Jalal Sharafi, second secretary at the Iranian embassy in Baghdad, on February 4. Tehran blamed the U.S. military, which denied any involvement.

"I can confirm that he has been freed and is in good health," Hoshiyar Zebari told reporters.

"We made tremendous efforts to free him. All sides had denied holding him, which made it more difficult. But we kept the pressure up on everybody."

Iran's official IRNA news agency reported Sharafi had already arrived back in Iran. Sharafiarrived in Tehran's Mehrabad International Airport after being released on Tuesday.

Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and a number of the ministry's officials welcomed him at the airport.

Asked who had snatched the diplomat, Zebari said: "Only he knows who was holding him."

Zebari said Iraq's government was also trying to secure the release of five Iranians who were detained by U.S. forces during a raid on an Iranian government office in the northern Iraqi city of Arbil on January 11.

Tehran says the five are diplomats. The United States has previously said they were backing militants.

"I am in constant contact with the Americans to release them. We always hear from them good pledges that they will be released," Zebari said.