Iraq admits arresting missing journalists

"Now that the Iraqi government has officially acknowledged that it arrested the IRNA reporter and his staff, it is responsible for their safety," Amir Hossein Motahar told Tehran dailies.

Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi had announced on Thursday that he had assurances that IRNA's Baghdad bureau chief Mostafa Darban, who went missing with Iraqi colleagues Mohammad Khafaji and Mohsen Madani, was in good health.