Iran arrests nuclear negotiator accused of spying

Iran’s official news agency is saying the country’s judiciary has confirmed the brief detention of a member of Iran’s negotiation team with world powers on suspicion of “infiltration.”

Earlier on Wednesday, hard-line news outlets said authorities detained a dual Iranian-Canadian national, Abdolrasoul Dorri Esfahani, who was a member of a parallel team working on lifting economic sanctions under one of the main negotiators for last year’s landmark nuclear deal between Iran and world powers. The Sunday report by IRNA quotes judiciary spokesman, Gholamhosein Mohseni Ejehi, as saying, “The report is correct. He was released based on bail. Yet, his charge is not proved.”

He did not elaborate.

It remains unclear why Esfahani is under investigation, though dual nationals have been increasingly targeted by security forces since the nuclear deal.

— AP