TEHRAN – The Netherlands have decided to release Iranian citizen Mehdi Kiasti, who was arrested at US request.
Reports say Kiasti “avoided” US sanctions and was scheduled to be extraded to the US.
On Saturday, Iran’s Minister of Justice and International Affairs, Qasem Galibabadi said the citizens would return to Iran by the beginning of Sunday.
Galibabadi announced on social media that Kiasti’s successful return was the result of sustained efforts by the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Justice and the intelligence reporting agency of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, and the Islamic Revolutionary Security Corps (IRGC).
The US has long been trying to impose a string of severe sanctions on Iran, curbing nuclear programs and limiting influence in the region.
These sanctions have a serious impact on the Iranian economy and have caused high inflation. Sanctions have also been criticised for their humanitarian implications as they limit access to essential goods and services for ordinary people.
Iran claims that these sanctions are unfair and inhumane, disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable segments of the population.
The recent diplomatic interaction between Iran and the Netherlands is seen as a blow to the US efforts to enforce its sanctions worldwide and strengthen Iran’s stance on US sanctions, and internationally against their enforcement It emphasizes the resistance and the failure to impose “maximum pressure” on Tehran, Washington.