Skip to main content

Iran ministry protests over arrests in U.S. of its nationals

1 min Mena Today

Iran has summoned the Swiss ambassador in Tehran, who represents U.S. interests in the country, and a senior Italian diplomat over the arrest by the U.S. of two Iranian nationals this week, Iranian media reported on Saturday.

U.S. prosecutors charged the two men on Monday with illegally exporting sensitive technology to Iran © Mena Today 

U.S. prosecutors charged the two men on Monday with illegally exporting sensitive technology to Iran © Mena Today 

Iran has summoned the Swiss ambassador in Tehran, who represents U.S. interests in the country, and a senior Italian diplomat over the arrest by the U.S. of two Iranian nationals this week, Iranian media reported on Saturday.

U.S. prosecutors charged the two men on Monday with illegally exporting sensitive technology to Iran that they said was used in a January drone attack in Jordan that killed three U.S. service members. The U.S. blamed Iran-backed militants for the attack. Iran said at the time it was not involved.

Federal prosecutors in Boston identified the men as Mohammad Abedini, the co-founder of an Iranian-based company, and Mahdi Sadeghi, an employee of Massachusetts-based semiconductor manufacturer Analog Devices.

Abedini, a resident of both Switzerland and Iran, was arrested in Italy at the request of the U.S. government. Sadeghi, an Iranian-born naturalized U.S. citizen, lives in Natick, Massachusetts.

“We consider these arrests in violation of international law,” Iranian media quoted the foreign ministry as saying, adding that the Swiss ambassador and the Italian charge d'affaires were asked to pass on Iran’s protest.

Editing by Frances Kerry)

Related

Iran

Kremlin talks: Putin, Rezaei and Russia’s spy chief meet

Russian President Vladimir Putin received Iran’s Supreme National Security Council chief Mohsen Rezaei at the Kremlin on Thursday, the president’s office said, as tensions between Tehran and Washington remain high.

Saudi Arabia

Yanbu in the firing line as Houthi campaign widens

Saudi Arabia issued alerts on Thursday warning of potential danger in Yanbu, the kingdom's Red Sea oil export hub, as Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis continue attacks on the kingdom that have opened another front in the US-Israeli war on Iran.

Iran

Vance eyes the throne

US Vice President JD Vance distanced himself from President Donald Trump's war on Iran on Wednesday, questioning whether it was worth the cost and blaming it for Republicans' election losses that handed Democrats control of both chambers of Congress.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Mena banner 4

To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.

  • Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.