TEHRAN -- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad-Ali Hosseini on Monday condemned the arrest of Iranian diplomats by U.S. forces in Baghdad, warning that the move could lead to “unpleasant repercussions”.

“This action is not compatible with international law and it will have unpleasant repercussions,” Hosseini said in a statement.

According to AFP, a spokesman for Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said two Iranians invited by the president to work on improving security in Iraq had been arrested by U.S. forces.

"Two people who were invited by the president to Iraq have now been apprehended by the Americans, and the president is unhappy with the arrests," Hiwa Osman, Talabani's media adviser, told AFP.

"A few days ago, we became aware that U.S. military forces, in a violation of international law, had arrested Iranian diplomats who were invited by the Iraqi government,” Hosseini added.

The diplomats had been sent to Iraq at the invitation of the Iraqi government to provide help, he noted, adding that the Iraqi government is responsible for obtaining their release and the occupiers should be held accountable according to international law.

He also said that the Swiss ambassador, whose embassy houses the U.S. Interests Section in Tehran, was summoned to the Foreign Ministry to receive an official protest.

"The invitation was within the framework of an agreement between Iran and Iraq to improve the security situation," Osman said.