Iranian Delegation Due in Sana’a Monday Night
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A delegation of Iranian lawyers and consular affairs experts will pay a visit to Yemen’s capital city, Sana’a, to pursue the fate of the kidnapped Iranian diplomat, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman confirmed on Monday.
“The Iranian delegation of lawyers and consular affairs experts will depart Tehran today evening to learn about the fate of the kidnapped Iranian diplomat," the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman, Seyed Abbas Araqchi, told Tasnim on Monday.
He reiterated that the foreign ministry will follow every lead to learn about the fate of Nour Ahmad Nikbakht, the administrative affairs attaché of Iran's embassy in Sana’a, and expressed the hope that the Yemeni government would help the Iranian delegation with their mission.
Meantime, the Yemeni foreign minister said on Sunday that Yemen is making every effort to clarify the fate of the kidnapped Iranian diplomat in Sana’a.
Abu Bakr al-Qirbi told his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif in a telephone conversation on Thursday that his country is seriously pursuing the fate of the kidnapped Iranian embassy staffer.
On July 21, a group of armed men kidnapped Iranian embassy staff member Nour Ahmad Nikbakht in Yemeni capital of Sana'a, and took him to an unknown location.
The Yemeni minister also expressed optimism that Nikhbakht will be freed in the near future.
In a relevant development on Wednesday, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir Abdollahian told Tasnim that Tehran’s information shows Nikbakht is alive and well.
He had also stated that the foreign ministry will dispatch a "consular committee" to Yemen to pursue the fate of the abducted staffer in the next few days.
Amir Abdollahian also appreciated the efforts made by Sana’a on the matter.
