UAE arrests Iran journalist and deports him to Tehran

Egyptian journalist Jamal Sultan revealed yesterday that the UAE had arrested an opposition Iranian journalist in Dubai and deported him to Tehran.

On Twitter, Sultan, the chief editor of Al-Mesryoon newspaper, wrote: “The UAE arrested an opposition Iranian journalist during a transit flight from France to Australia through Dubai. It handed him over to the Iranian authorities.”

He added: “He is subject to execution. The Iranian media is speaking happily about a complicated operation through which he was lured and arrested.”

On Sunday, Middle East Eye revealed that Tahnoun Bin Zayed, the national security adviser of the UAE, had visited Tehran on a secret mission aiming to defuse tensions among Gulf states.

Tahnoun’s secret mission was the highest-level meeting between the two sides since the crisis broke out.

READ: UAE-Iran meetings indicate possible re-assessment of Emirates’ foreign policy