Baghdad ? Despite continuing high tensions between Washington, D.C., and Tehran, the Iranian capital, five Iranians who have been held by the U.S. military in Iraq since January received their first visit Saturday from Iranian diplomats.

The meeting took place at a U.S. military facility in or near Baghdad, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari told the Los Angeles Times.

The five Iranians were picked up in a Jan. 11 raid in the Kurdish city of Irbil.

Iran said at the time that the five worked at a liaison office that it was seeking to upgrade to a consulate.

U.S. officials said the five did not identify themselves as diplomats when they were detained, and did not have diplomatic credentials.

U.S. military claimed the five belonged to the Al Quds force, the covert international arm of the Islamic republic’s Revolutinary Guard. Iran has insisted the five were diplomats.

Some U.S. and Iraqi officials said last month that the five could be released soon. But until now, the Americans had refused Iran’s request to see the prisoners.

There was no indication from either the Americans or the Iraqis that the release of the detainees was imminent.