They are hostages. And the faces of the two men in the image above speak volumes; there is likely far more to come out about their treatment when they are out of custody.

As was the case with Sara Shourd, they may well have sit for some photo ops and sing the praises of the Iranian regime all the way to the end of Iranian airspace.

An update on this story. "Lawyer: Iran Sets Bail for 2 Jailed Americans," by Nasser Karimi for the Associated Press, September 13:

An Iranian court Tuesday set bail of $500,000 each for two American men arrested more than two years ago and convicted on spy-related charges, clearing the way for their release a year after a similar bail-for-freedom arrangement for the third member of the group, their defense attorney said.

Another recent report has backpedaled slightly from the bail figure, but still quotes an Iranian official as saying the two would be released on terms similar to those for Shourd.

[....] State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said officials were in touch with Swiss envoys "to get more details from the Iranian authorities."

Iran may have timed the court decision to coincide with Ahmadinejad's visit later this month to New York for the general assembly of the United Nations. Last year, Shourd was released on bail just as Ahmadinejad was heading for the annual gathering of world leaders.

But Ahmadinejad was not likely involved closely in any decisions on the case. Iran's judiciary is controlled by the country's ruling clerics, who have been waging relentless pressure on Ahmadinejad and his allies as part of an internal power struggle....