Diplomat’s Release in Yemen Signifies Iran’s Security, Political Power
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for African and Middle Eastern Affairs Hossein Amir Abdollahian described the release of an Iranian diplomat who had been kidnapped in Yemen as an indication of Iran’s power.
“The release of the Iranian diplomat, which was secured by the (country’s Intelligence Ministry) is yet another sign of Iran’s security and political power,” Deputy Foreign Minister for African and Middle Eastern Affairs Hossein Amir Abdollahian said on Thursday.
He made the remark in a meeting with Nour Ahmad Nikbakht, the freed diplomat, at Mehrabad Airport in Tehran.
Nikbakht, who had been abducted in 2013 by terrorists in Yemen, was released thanks to the efforts made by the Islamic Republic’s Intelligence Ministry.
Amir Abdollahian noted that a special taskforce set up by the ministry managed to secure Nikbakht’s freedom from the clutches of terrorists in a series of complex and difficult operations.
On July 21, 2013, Nikbakht was on his way to work from his home in the diplomatic quarter of the Yemeni capital of Sana’a, when unidentified gunmen blocked the road, forced him out of his vehicle and took him away.
Abductions are frequent in Yemen. The country has been in turmoil since 2011 pro-democracy protests forced long-ruling President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down.
The Shiite Ansarullah movement says the Yemeni government has been incapable of properly running the affairs of the country and providing security. The movement has established a transitional council to govern the country until a new government is elected.
