A spokesman for Iran�s judiciary says a Washington Post reporter and two other journalists detained last month are being held over �security issues.�

Post reporter Jason Rezaian, his wife Yeganeh Salehi and two photojournalists were detained July 22 in Iran�s capital, Tehran. One photojournalist was later released.

A report Monday by Iran�s official IRNA news agency quoted spokesman Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejehi as saying officials are still in the �initial stages of investigation.� However, Ejehi said: �The reason behind their detention is not financial but security issues.� He didn�t elaborate.

The Washington Post has said 38-year-old Rezaian holds both American and Iranian citizenship. His wife is an Iranian citizen who has applied for U.S. permanent residency and works as a correspondent for a newspaper based in the United Arab Emirates.

(AP)