US Warns Against Travel to Iran

Iranian Ambassador Hassan Kazemi Qomi speaks during a press conference and after his four hours of talks with the U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker in Baghdad, on Monday , May 28, 2007. Qomi said that he told the Americans that Tehran was ready to train and equip the Iraqi army and police to create "a new military and security structure" and he added that the two sides would meet again in less than a month. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban) (Hadi Mizban - AP)

"What we are seeing is a disturbing pattern on the part of the Iranians in efforts to harass these innocent people," Casey said, adding that the detentions undercut Iran's claims to want a dialogue with the United States.

"It certainly belies any notion that the regime is interested in promoting any kind of dialogue if they are attacking and harassing these Iranian-Americans who are doing nothing more than some pretty basic kinds of human contacts," he said.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called the treatment of Esfandiari and the other Iranian-Americans "a perversion of the rule of law."

A fifth American citizen, former FBI agent Robert Levinson, has been missing in Iran since early March and Washington has cast severe doubts on Iranian claims to have no information about him in response to repeated requests through the Swiss and others.

The U.S. broke diplomatic relations with Iran after the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the hostage crisis at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.

Perennially poor ties since then have been exacerbated in recent months by rising tensions over Iran's nuclear program and U.S. allegations that Tehran is supporting armed groups in Iraq.

Last week, Iran said it had uncovered spy rings organized by the U.S. and its Western allies.

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Associated Press Writer Katarina Kratovac contributed to this report from Cairo, Egypt.