An American journalist jailed in Iran and charged with espionage, stood trial behind closed doors and a verdict is expected within weeks, the country's judiciary spokesman said yesterday.

Roxana Saberi, a 31-year-old dual American-Iranian citizen, was arrested in late January and initially accused of working without press credentials. But an Iranian judge levelled a far more serious allegation against her last week, charging her with spying for the United States.

"Yesterday, the first trial session was held. She presented her final defence," judiciary spokesman Ali Reza Jamshidi told reporters. "The court will issue its verdict within the next two to three weeks."The US government has been pressing for Saberi's release and the charges against her and news of her swift trial were a setback especially at a time when President Barack Obama has expressed a willingness to talk with Iran after many years of rocky relations under the former Bush administration.It was unclear why the trial was moving at such a fast pace especially because the charges levelled against Saberi were so serious.

Saberi's lawyer and her parents, who travelled to Iran in a bid to help win their daughter's release, could not immediately be reached for comment.