Iran Says Abducted Embassy Staffer in Yemen "Healthy"
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A senior Iranian foreign ministry official said Nour Ahmad Nikbakht, an Iranian embassy staffer who has been abducted in Sana'a some months ago, is safe and sound, adding that a diplomatic delegation plans to travel to Yemen this week to pursue his fate.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir Abdollahian on Monday denied the media reports on the death of the kidnapped Iranian embassy staffer in Yemen.
“He is healthy, and a delegation will travel from Iran to Yemen this week to pursue the issue.”
On July 21, a group of armed men kidnapped Nour Ahmad Nikbakht in Yemeni capital of Sana'a at gunpoint, and took him to an unknown location.
No group has claimed responsibility for the abduction and the officials at the Iranian foreign ministry are working with Yemeni government to locate and release him.
Amir Abdollahian further noted that joint efforts of Tehran and Sana’a are actively in progress to release the Iranian abducted staffer.
“We expect the Yemeni officials to speed up their current efforts”, he added.
In a recent development last week, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif once again reiterated that the ultimate responsibility for the release of Nour Ahmad Nikbakht lies with the Yemeni government.
In a telephone conversation on December 17, Zarif called on his Yemeni counterpart Abu Bakr Abdallah al-Qirbi to pursue the fate of the Iranian embassy staffer who has been held hostage since July this year.
