A 42-year-old Iranian citizen, who holds Dutch citizenship and lives in the Netherlands, has been detained in Tehran over suspicions of holding dual nationality.
According to information received by Iran International, Saeed Farahani had his passport confiscated upon entry into Iran two months ago. He was then summoned to judicial authorities and went to Evin Court but was arrested and detained earlier in August.
Since his arrest, Farahani has had no contact with his family, and his current status remains unknown.
It appears that he was detained due to suspicions of holding dual citizenship, but information received by Iran International indicates that he does not possess dual citizenship.
For many years, the Islamic Republic has detained Iranian citizens who reside abroad or who hold dual citizenship in an attempt to exert pressure on Western governments and to secure concessions in exchange for the release of these citizens.
Recently, Tehran and Washington reached an agreement that would secure the release of five American hostages imprisoned in Iran in exchange for the Islamic Republic gaining access to $6 billion of its blocked assets that were frozen in South Korea.
Commenting on this recent deal, Jake Sullivan, the White House National Security Advisor, stated that the US believes the potential agreement for the release of these five imprisoned American citizens by Iran is still on track, but he refrained from providing a timeline.
Based on this agreement, individuals such as Siyamak Namazi, Emad Sharghi, Morad Tahbaz, and two other unnamed American citizens are to be released. These individuals have already been placed under house arrest until the release deal is finalized.