The two American hikers imprisoned in Iran may be held a bit longer while Iran's powerful judiciary reviews their offer for bail.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad predicted Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal would be freed in a couple of days after paying $1 million in bail money.
    
Now Iran's state media is reporting the two men are "going to stay in prison for a bit longer" because Iran's religious judges are re-thinking the issue.

"Two American citizens charged with espionage have not been released. Request from lawyers of these two defendants to issue bail and free (them) is under study," the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency quoted the judicial body.

"Information about this case will be provided by the judiciary. Any information supplied by individuals about this is not authoritative," the judges added in what appeared to be a jab at Ahmadinejad. 

The men were arrested more than two years ago along with a third hiker, Sarah Shourd, after the trio crossed into Iran during a hiking trip.

The hikers have always maintained their intrusion across the Iranian border was an accident.
    
Bauer and Fattal were sentenced last month to eight years in prison on charges of spying and illegally entering the country.