Former Iran defense ministry advisor resurfaces after Egypt abduction
Amir Mousawi, a former Iranian diplomat and defense ministry adviser whose abduction in Egypt had earlier been confirmed by Tehran, wrote on X that he has returned to Iraq.
Amir Mousawi, a former Iranian diplomat and defense ministry adviser whose abduction in Egypt had earlier been confirmed by Tehran, wrote on X that he has returned to Iraq.
Earlier in the day, foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei confirmed that Mousawi had entered Egypt on an Iraqi passport and was abducted there.
“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 told reporters in Tehran.
On Monday Mousawi’s account on X posted a message in Arabic saying "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.”
The post was addressed to Egypt’s prime minister, parliament speaker and judiciary chief.
Iranian news website Didban Iran cited suggestions in regional media that he may have been abducted by agents of Israel’s Mossad in Cairo.
Mousawi -- also spelled Mousavi -- has previously been active as a Middle East analyst on Iranian state-linked channels including Al-Alam and Al-Mayadeen, as well as on Qatar’s Al Jazeera, where he frequently expressed anti-Israeli views.
He also headed the Islamic Republic’s Center for Strategic and International Studies and served as an adviser to Iran’s defense ministry.
He left Algeria in 2018 after four years as Iran’s cultural attaché there.
The Al-Monitor news site reported that Mousawi faced accusations of spreading Shi’ite ideology on behalf of Tehran. Algerian commentators and political activists had demanded his expulsion, describing his activities as “dangerous and suspicious.”
In 2017, he sparked controversy in Algeria with remarks against Anissa al-Mansali, the widow of former Algerian president Houari Boumédiène. On Facebook, Mousawi criticized her comments on Iran, saying she wished for the fall of the Islamic Republic. The post drew backlash from Algerians who rallied in support of al-Mansali.
Mousawi also drew attention last month, after telling an Iraqi outlet that Iran could build nuclear weapons within “a few hours,” saying the country had sufficient enriched uranium and infrastructure to produce up to “24 nuclear bombs.”
