Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad said two US hikers held on espionage charges since 2009 would be released "in two days" during an interview with NBC News to be broadcast on Tuesday.

The two US citizens, Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal, were arrested near the mountainous Iraq-Iran border in July 31, 2009, along with a third hiker, Sarah Shourd, who was later released on humanitarian and medical grounds.