A leading Iranian government official who disappeared after landing in Egypt has re-emerged in Iraq, following a brief diplomatic and media spectacle regarding his whereabouts.
The alarm was raised on Monday after Amir Mousawi, an advisor to the defence ministry and a former diplomat, was feared abducted from Cairo airport on Monday.
His X account had posted an alarming Arabic-language message addressed to Egypt’s prime minister, parliament speaker and judiciary chief, reading: “Mr. Amir Mousawi has gone missing at Egypt airport after arriving on an official invitation! His disappearance raises major questions about his safety, and there are urgent demands to reveal the truth immediately.”
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told reporters that Mousawi, who was a regular guest on pro-Iran media, had entered Cairo on an Iraqi passport and had been “abducted”, according to the opposition media outlet Iran International.
“We heard this morning about the disappearance of Mr. Amir Mousawi in Egypt. He is not currently a diplomat. He had previously served as a cultural attaché,” Baghaei said in Tehran.
Mousawi served as Iran’s cultural attache in Algeria for four years, leaving under a cloud of controversy after accusations that the official was “spreading Shia ideology” and interfering in the country’s politics, according to Al-Monitor.
He was also an outspoken critic of Israel, calling for opening a “new front” in the West Bank in 2014, according to Israeli media.
Mousawi more recently said Iran was capable of constructing dozens of nuclear bombs, sparking rumours he had been abducted by Mossad following a string of assassinations of Iranian scientists and officials.
His account later confirmed that he had returned to Iraq and was safe.
“I extend my deep thanks and appreciation to the Prime Minister, the head of the Supreme Judicial Council, the Speaker of Parliament and his deputy, the Deputy Foreign Minister, the resistance forces, journalists, local social media activists, and the many friends and supporters in Iraq and Iran,” the tweet read.
“I also thank the Iranian Foreign Ministry, the Iranian and Iraqi embassies in Cairo, the relevant security services, and everyone who stood in solidarity with me over the past two days. Their support brought about a positive outcome and enabled my safe return to our beloved homeland.”
Iran and Egypt have recently improved ties following years of tensions, although there are still suspicions in Cairo about Tehran’s influence in the region.
