Polish MFA confirms a Polish citizen is among foreigners arrested in Iran

Iranian state TV did not elaborate on when they were arrested or whether they were still under arrest. Britain said the reports were "completely false".

"These spies were taking earth samples in Iran's central desert where the Revolutionary Guards' aerospace missile exercises were conducted," state TV said.

Iranian state TV showed what it said was footage of Giles Whitaker and his family in central Iran where the British diplomat appeared to be taking ground samples. The TV said it was near an area that a missile test was taking place by the Guards.

"Whitaker was expelled from the city after apologising (the authorities)," the TV report said.

However, a spokesperson for Britain's Foreign Office said: "Reports of the arrest of a British diplomat in Iran are completely false."

Samuel Heath, UK spokesperson to the United States, tweeted: "He (Whitaker) is not even posted in Iran anymore!"

One of those detained was identified by state TV as the husband of Austria's cultural attaché in Iran. Austrian officials were not immediately available to comment on the matter.

The TV also showed a picture of a third foreigner, a university professor from Poland, whom it said was visiting Iran as a tourist.

The TV report ran footage allegedly showing the Polish scientist and three colleagues collecting earth samples in another area after visiting Iran on a scientific exchange programme. It said their sample collection also coincided with a missile test in Iran's southern Kerman province.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirms that a Polish national was taken into custody in Iran in September 2021," we read in a statement issued on Thursday by Poland's Foreign Ministry spokeperson Łukasz Jasina.

"The consular services have maintained contact with the Pole and his family ever since; the detainee has been provided with legal aid. Consular and diplomatic steps have been taken to make it possible for him to return to Poland as soon as possible. We have also been coordinating our subsequent actions with allied states," the spokesperson said.

"Considering the best interests of the highly reputed scientist, the MFA will not disclose any details of the case and requests that his privacy and the privacy of his relatives be respected," Jasina added.

Jasina told TVN24 later on Thursday that the Polish scientist had gone to Iran to carry our his scientific work. "He has been detained, accused, and remains in an Iranian prison," he said. "We are optimistic, we hope that his release will happen. We bring up this issue in every conversation with Iranian authorities. We hope it will be resolved in a positive way and will not strain relations between our countries," the MFA spokesperson said.

Asked what kind of charges had been presented to the Polish scientist, Jasina said the ministry would not reveal any more details at that time "due to security reasons and adopted policy of our citizen's protection".

Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards have arrested dozens of dual nationals and foreigners in recent years, mostly on espionage and security-related charges.

Rights groups have accused the Islamic Republic of trying to win concessions from other countries through arrests on security charges that may have been trumped up.

Tehran denies arresting people for political reasons.