(Patria) – Iranian officials have confirmed the arrest of three Australian citizens, who they claim were spying in sensitive areas of the country.

The spokesperson for the Iranian judiciary, Gholam Hossein Esmaeili, confirmed the arrests at a press conference, adding that they are in custody on two grounds and that indictments have been filed in both cases.

As reported by the British Guardian, Esmaeili explained that one of the cases relates to photographing military and restricted areas, and that "the photos were downloaded from the memory of the camera that was discovered and then confiscated".

The second case, according to the spokesperson, relates to "espionage for another country" by a foreign national.

He also stated that indictments have been filed in both cases and that the trio is awaiting trial.

Jolie King, a woman of British-Australian descent, and her Australian partner Mark Firkin were arrested 10 weeks ago near Tehran. The couple launched a drone near military grounds near Jajrood to take photos for their travel blog 'The Way Overland'.

The couple had been posting regularly on their blog since 2017 when they embarked on a long journey from Australia. Their last posts from 10 weeks ago are from Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan.

The Australian government, which first announced the news of the detention of its three citizens on September 11, states that it will continue to provide them with consular assistance.