Iran has acknowledged for the first time that it is holding three Australian nationals, including two with joint British nationality, on suspicion of spying.

The semi-official Tasnim news agency quoted judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili as saying the three had been charged in two separate cases.

He said two people, thought to be British-Australian blogger Jolie King and her boyfriend Mark Firkin, had been detained for using a drone to take pictures and video of military areas and other unauthorised zones.

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He said the third, believed to be Cambridge-educated academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert, faces charges of spying for another country.

Australia said last week it was pressing Iran to free those held.