TEHRAN: Iranian authorities briefly detained the Swiss ambassador to Tehran, Livia Leu Agosti, while she was on a trip three days ago to North Khorasan province, state media reports said on Saturday.

Agosti was detained on Wednesday by provincial security forces "because her identity was not established at the time," said the website of Press TV, the Iranian channel in English, citing "informed sources."

She was freed a few hours later, the report said.

Agosti`s trip to a village in North Khorasan was planned in "coordination and full permission of the foreign ministry," state television said on its website, quoting an informed source.

"But the local security forces temporarily arrested on July 14 the Swiss ambassador because her identity was not established. However after coordination with relevant authorities she was immediately released," the website said.

In Switzerland, a foreign ministry spokesman told AFP that his office "does not have any information" about the possible detention of Agosti.

The Swiss embassy in Tehran has represented the interests of the United States in Iran since the two archfoes broke off ties in the aftermath of the 1979 Islamic revolution.

BDST: 0938 HRS, 18 July 2010