TEHRAN, Feb 22: Iran has denied suggestions that it has arrested Osama bin Laden on the border with Pakistan. Some Iranian websites quoted American officials as saying Osama had been arrested two weeks ago by Iranian forces.

However, at a weekly press briefing in Tehran, spokesman Abdullah Ramezanzadeh said: "This information is wrong and (Osama) bin Laden has not been arrested by our security forces."

One senior US diplomat in Pakistan also told Adnkronos International last week that he believed Osama might have been intercepted and detained against his will by Iranian agents while travelling along the border between eastern Iran, Pakistan's Balochistan and Afghanistan. He also suggested that Iran might be considering using him as a bargaining chip to stave off possible military action from the United States. -By arrangement with AKI