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Iran to trail fate of missing four diplomats kidnapped by Israel-backed forces in Lebanon 29 years ago

Iran’s Foreign Ministry has pledged to intensify efforts to follow up on the fate of four Iranian diplomats kidnapped by Israel-backed forces in Lebanon 29 years ago.

In a statement issued on the 29th anniversary of the abduction of the diplomats, the foreign ministry reiterated that it will continue to pursue the fate of the diplomats through diplomatic channels in regional and international arenas.

The foreign ministry also urged UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to call particular attention to the case and compel the Israeli regime to conform to international conventions and shed light on the fate of the missing Iranian diplomats.

Israel’s failure to respond to questions about the diplomats has slowed down the process of an investigation into the case, it added.

It also called on Lebanon to agree to a proposal by Iran to set up a committee to coordinate efforts aimed at determining the fate of the diplomats.

On July 4, 1982, four Iranian diplomats — Ahmad Motevaselian, Seyyed Mohsen Mousavi, Taqi Rastegar Moqaddam and Kazem Akhavan — were kidnapped by a group of Israel-backed gunmen at an inspection post in northern Lebanon.

They were last heard of on June 2008, when the Lebanese Hezbollah Resistance Movement received a report indicating that the diplomats were still alive and in Israeli captivity.

Israel claims that the four diplomats were abducted by a Lebanese militant group and were killed shortly after their abduction.

Former Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki sent an official letter to the UN secretary general a year ago and called for the establishment of a fact-finding committee to pursue the fate of the diplomats.

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