Nayef: positive negotiations with Iran on the detainees

Saudi Arabia announced yesterday it is making contacts with Tehran concerning Saudi citizens held in Iran for being suspected to have links to al-Qaida organization.

The Saudi news agency quoted the minister of the interior saying that the number of Saudis held in Iran is not known and also whether they have links to the Riyadh's explosions of May.

Nayef did not also explain whether the detained persons are members of al-Qaida over whom Iran said that it had determined their identities and will hand them over to "friendly" countries. The Saudi minister said that contacts continue between the two sides and the Saudis anticipates a positive response from the Iranian side.

Nayef said that his country seized 40 suspected persons since the Riyadh explosions.