Iran admitted Wednesday that it is holding senior members of the al-Qaida terror network.

"Since the fall of the Taliban, we have arrested a large number of al-Qaida members, some of whom have been expelled or handed over to their country of origin," Iranian Intelligence Minister Ali Yunesi told a press conference in Tehran Wednesday.

"A large number of small and big time elements of al-Qaida are in our custody," he added.

Yunesi refused to comment on reports that Iran is holding al-Qaida's No. 2, Ayman al-Zawahri, the group's spokesman Suleiman AbuGhaith or its security chief Saif al-Adil.

In another development, Interior Minister Abdolvahed Mousavi Lari said Wednesday that Iran will soon extradite some al-Qaida members it is holding to their home countries and put the rest on trial.

US President George W. Bush on Monday accused Syria and Iran of harboring terrorists and said terrorism was the greatest obstacle to peace in the Middle East.

"This behavior is completely unacceptable," Bush warned, "States that support terror will be held accountable."

But Iran immediately denied the US allegation and said it was the United States that was supporting terror against the Tehran government.

(Xinhua News Agency July 24, 2003)