A senior Iranian diplomat condemned the US move to take Iranian nationals hostage under the guise of circumvention of illegal and unilateral sanctions.

According to The Iran Project, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Consular, Parliamentary, and Expatriate Affairs Vahid Jalalzadeh, in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, said the move is “in breach of international law.”

“Unilateral and inhumane US sanctions, along with any actions stemming from these illegal measures such as hostage-taking of Iranian nationals under pretenses like circumventing illegal and illegitimate sanctions, constitute a violation of international law,” he wrote.

“It is our duty to pursue the rights of Iranians in every part of the world,” Jalalzadeh emphasized.

Jalalzadeh’s comments came in response to the recent arrests of two Iranian nationals in the United States and Italy, allegedly for their involvement in equipping drones used in attacks on American forces.

According to reports, the arrests are allegedly linked to a January 28 drone attack carried out by Iraqi armed groups against a US military outpost in Jordan known as Tower 22.

Mohammad Abedini Najafabadi, 38, a mechanical engineering graduate from Sharif University of Technology, was detained on December 16 by Italian police at Milan Airport while preparing to travel to Switzerland.

The arrest, carried out at the United States’ request, has cut off all direct contact with him.