Baghdad — American troops raided a Baghdad hotel Tuesday night and took away a group of about 10 people that a U.S.-funded radio station said included six members of an Iranian delegation here to negotiate contracts with Iraq's government.
The Iranian Embassy did not confirm the report. But it said seven Iranians - an embassy employee and six members of a delegation from Iran's Electricity Ministry - were staying at the Sheraton Ishtar Hotel, which was the one raided by U.S. soldiers.
An arrest of Iranian officials would add to tensions between Washington and Tehran already strained by the detention of each other's citizens as well as U.S. accusations of Iranian involvement in Iraq's violence and alleged Iranian efforts to develop nuclear bombs.
A U.S. military spokesman declined to comment.
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