2013 Iranian diplomat kidnapping#Return

Nour Ahmad Nikbakht, an administrative staff member of the Iranian Embassy in Sana'a, Yemen,{{cite news |date=5 March 2015 |title=Kidnapped Iranian diplomat rescued in Yemen |work=Al Jazeera |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/03/kidnapped-iranian-diplomat-rescued-yemen-150305101930308.html |access-date=24 May 2016}} was kidnapped by Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula in the Yemeni capital on 21 July 2013. Nikbakht was abducted while leaving his home in Sana'a by a gunman who was a member of al-Qaeda.{{cite news |last=Kelley |first=Quinn |date=5 March 2015 |title=Nour Ahmad Nikbakht |work=Dark Room |url=http://darkroom.baltimoresun.com/2015/03/coal-mine-explosion-rescue-purim-acc-womens-tournament-march-5/nour-ahmad-nikbakht/ |access-date=24 May 2016 |archive-date=23 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190623151232/http://darkroom.baltimoresun.com/2015/03/coal-mine-explosion-rescue-purim-acc-womens-tournament-march-5/nour-ahmad-nikbakht/ |url-status=dead }} He was held hostage for two years and released in March 2015 in exchange for five al-Qaeda leaders.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/18/world/middleeast/iran-released-top-members-of-al-qaeda-in-a-trade.html|title=Iran Released Top Members of al Qaeda in a Trade|newspaper=The New York Times|date=18 September 2015|last1=Callimachi|first1=Rukmini|last2=Schmitt|first2=Eric}} He returned home safely on March 5, 2015.

==Abduction==

On 21 July 2013, Nikbakht left his house in Sana'a and went to work. On his way to the embassy, unidentified gunmen blocked the road, forced him out of his car and abducted him, taking him to an unknown location.{{cite news|url=http://en.alalam.ir/news/1526297|title=20 October 2013 13:21 Iranian diplomat abducted in Yemen in good health: official|work=ALALAM|date=20 October 2013|access-date=24 May 2016}} After he was liberated, Nour-Ahamd stated: "I was kidnapped by unknown gunmen and terrorists as I left my home to go to work."

According to the Yemeni tribunal, Nour-Ahmad Nikbakht was held by al-Qaeda militants in an area between the southern provinces of Shabwa and Baida. Nour-Ahmad described his ordeal: "I was in an extremely difficult situation and I did not know what was happening in the outside world."

Official statements

=Before release=

On 14 August 2013, foreign ministry of Yemen claimed that it had no clues as to the whereabouts of the abducted Iranian diplomat.

Hossein Amirabdollahian, deputy of foreign minister, mentioned that a special group was formed at the Iran and Yemen foreign ministry to solve the issue. Also, he said: "the Yemeni government is responsible for the Iranian diplomat's safety and his safe return to the country."{{cite news|url=http://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2014/09/17/501516/iran-holds-yemen-accountable-for-diplomat-abduction|title=Iran Holds Yemen Accountable for Diplomat Abduction|work=Tasnim News Agency|date=17 September 2014|access-date=24 May 2016}}

The Iranian foreign ministry summoned the Yemeni chargé d'affaires at the Tehran twice and announced that Yemen was responsible for Nikbakht's safety.

=After release=

One day before the release, Iranian officials announced that Nikbakht was healthy.

File:Nour Ahmad Nikbakht.jpg and Nour Ahmad Nikbakht after his return to Iran.]]

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, deputy of foreign minister, explained that intelligence officers carried out a difficult and complicated rescue operation.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-31744613|title=Iranian 'operation' in Yemen frees kidnapped diplomat|work=BBC News|date=5 March 2015|access-date=24 May 2016}}{{cite news |date=6 March 2015 |title=Iranian special operatives free diplomat abducted in Yemen |work=The Japan Times |url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/03/06/world/iranian-special-operatives-free-diplomat-abducted-yemen/#.V0QYGUZMjwa |access-date=24 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190108005254/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/03/06/world/iranian-special-operatives-free-diplomat-abducted-yemen/ |archive-date=8 January 2019}} He did not give more details about the operation.

Mahmoud Alavi, intelligence minister of Iran, declared that the rescue operation occurred with the lowest possible casualties. Also, Alavi said: "Tehran had refused the conditions set by the terrorists" for the diplomat's release."

Return

On March 5, 2015, he moved to Mehrabad international airport and returned to his family, where he was greeted by his family and some Iranian officials.