Iran asks Lebanon on missing diplomats

Iran has asked Lebanon to brief Tehran on the latest findings in the case of the three Iranian diplomats and one journalist, who were kidnapped nearly three decades ago.

Ahead of the 28th anniversary of the abduction of the four Iranian nationals, Tehran’s Ambassador to Beirut Ghazanfar Roknabadi held a meeting with Lebanese Foreign Minister Ali al-Shami on Saturday, IRNN reported.

Roknabadi urged Lebanese officials to press on with investigations to determine the fate of the missing Iranian nationals.

The four were kidnapped on July 4, during Israeli invasion of Beirut by a pro-Israeli militia group, the Lebanese Forces, former Phalangists, at an inspection point in northern Lebanon.

Ahmad Motevaselian, Seyed Mohsen Mousavi, Taghi Rastegar Moghadam and Kazem Akhavan were travelling in an embassy car en route to Beirut from the northern town of Tripoli when they were kidnapped.

Tehran has ruled out Israeli claims that the four Iranian nationals were killed shortly after their abduction, insisting that it has evidence showing they are still alive and languishing in Israeli jails.

The leader of Lebanon’s Hezbollah resistance movement said last year that he had evidence proving that the Iranian diplomats were under Israeli detention.