
Iran’s Foreign Minister says he expects the arrest of senior Iranian diplomat Bagher Asadi is a misunderstanding.
On Friday May 3, the Iranian national broadcaster aired Ali Akbar Salehi’s confirmation that the Iranian diplomat and former member of Iran’s mission to the UN, Bagher Asadi, had been arrested by the authorities in Iran.
Salehi, who was visiting the Book Exhibition in Tehran, told reporters: “It is unfortunate that Mr. Bagher Asadi, with a history of expert and valuable service in the Foreign Ministry and from whom we have only seen efforts to protect the country’s interests, has become the subject of a misunderstanding.”
He added that every government body has a duty and apparently Asadi has been accused of charges that Salehi said are hopefully just a misunderstanding. The Foreign Minister did not provide any further details.
Reuters reported two days ago that top Iranian diplomat Bagher Asadi was arrested in Tehran in March. The report speculated that Asadi’s arrest was connected with the sensitive political atmosphere leading up to the June presidential election in Iran.