Iranian official avoids confirming arrest of nuclear negotiator
Iranian negotiator Abbas Araghchi refused to confirm or deny whether a member of the nuclear negotiation team was arrested for spying for a foreign country.
Iranian social media has been buzzing about the news of the alleged arrest of Abdol Rasul Dori Esfahani, a member of the Iranian nuclear negotiation team. Conservative media outlets were the first to reveal the name after Tehran prosecutor said last week that a dual-national was arrested for spying for British Intelligence. However, no government official as of yet has confirmed the news.
When asked to confirm the arrest of a fellow nuclear negotiator Aug. 25, Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi refused. “I have only heard rumors about this matter,” Araghchi said to Fars News on the sidelines of a conference regarding the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which is known by the acronym BARJAM in Iran. He added, “The [appropriate] officials should respond and explain if a spy has been arrested.”
