In operation leading to release from captivity of the Iranian kidnapped diplomat in Yemen none of the demands made by the terrorists was accepted and lowest possible cost was paid, intelligence minister said on Thursday.
In operation leading to release from captivity of the Iranian kidnapped diplomat in Yemen none of the demands made by the terrorists was accepted and lowest possible cost was paid, intelligence minister said on Thursday.
'Twenty months ago a diplomat of our country was abducted in one of the streets of Yemen's capital city and from the very beginning various concerned organizations of the Islamic Republic of Iran stepped forth to end the hostage taking crisis and defend our national interests,' said Hojjatoleslam Seyyed Mahmud Alavi in a press conference on released Iranian diplomat Nour Ahmad Nikbakht.
He emphasized that the Intelligence Ministry feels committed in defense of the Iranian citizens, including the country's diplomats, which is why in this case it began from the first days after beginning of the crisis.
'Taking hostage of a diplomat who is on a foreign mission and is not armed with any cold, or hot arms is devoid of any military, intelligence, or operational value, but the counter-intelligence operation to free him is considered a complicated work,' stressed Alavi.
He said that the armed terrorists who resort to such acts s hostage taking typically have illegitimate demands and the interactions with them should be very delicate so that the aftermaths will not cause problems for the country.
The intelligence minister said that his affiliated ministry relying on its precious experience and high competence in conducting complicated operations managed to accomplish this mission successfully.
'The terrorists behead the people whom they kidnap in various countries, or set them ablaze alive and post the videos of such criminal acts on the internet, while the victims' countries are practically incapable of releasing their citizens from the terrorists' hands,' reiterated Alavi.
He said that the Iranian intelligence officers on the contrary managed to launch a complicated, advanced, and precise operation and accomplish the job in a way that none of the conditions set by the terrorists were accepted and the cost for the operation was minimized to the least possible level.
Alavi appreciated the people who contributed to the victory of the beloved Iranian diplomat, congratulated the victory to the 12th Imam (P), His Eminence the Leader, the President and the people, and hoped that such events will never be repeated.
He also ensured the terrorists and hostage takers that Iran will never yield to blackmailing and will not permit the breaching of its national interests.
Iran says that Nour Ahmad Nikbakht, who has arrived in Tehran, was released following an intensive intelligence operation.
A joint bilateral security and political committee between Iran and Yemen had been established to secure Nikbakht's freedom.
The Iranian diplomat was kidnapped on July 21, 2013, on his way to work from his home in the diplomatic quarter of Sana’a, when unidentified gunmen blocked the road, forced him out of his vehicle and abducted him.
