Clinton seeks Iran humanitarian gesture on hikers

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Iran should free two remaining U.S. citizens held on suspicion of spying as a "significant humanitarian gesture" after releasing one this week on bail, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Friday.

She said the United States was relieved by Iran's decision on Tuesday to free Sarah Shourd, who was arrested with two male companions, Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal, in July 2009 near Iran's border with Iraq.

"We are absolutely committed to the return of Josh and Shane. These two young men have been held without cause now for more than a year. It would be a very significant humanitarian gesture for the Iranians to release them as well," Clinton told reporters after a meeting with Australia's foreign minister.

Shourd, 32, left Iran for Oman after she was released following what appeared to be internal Iranian political squabbling over the issue.

U.S. officials and the detainees' families have rejected Iran's charges of espionage, saying they simply strayed across the border while on a mountain hike in northern Iraq.

Clinton thanked both Switzerland -- which looks after U.S. interests in Iran in the absence of diplomatic relations -- and Oman for their help in securing Shourd's release and said the United States would keep up pressure for Bauer's and Fattal's release.

"We continue reaching out to the many countries around the world who have supported us in our efforts on their behalf," Clinton said.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Friday that Iranian officials had presented the Omanis with a list of Iranian citizens it says are being held in U.S. jails.

"We hope they also make a humanitarian gesture," Ahmadinejad said in a televised interview.

The case of the hikers has further complicated relations between Tehran and Washington, which are tense over Iran's disputed nuclear activities.

Ahmadinejad is scheduled to be in New York next week for the annual United Nations General Assembly meeting.

(Reporting by Andrew Quinn; Editing by Stacey Joyce and Chris Wilson)