The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the British Ambassador to Tehran, Simon Shercliff, on Tuesday in response to London’s decision to extradite an Iranian citizen to the United States. The individual, identified as Seyed Haji Aga Musai, is accused of circumventing American sanctions against Iran.
According to Report, in a statement published on its website, the Iranian Foreign Ministry expressed its “resolute protest against the illegal detention and extradition of an Iranian citizen to the United States”. The Ministry’s Director General of Consular Affairs conveyed Iran’s strong objections during the meeting with Ambassador Shercliff.
According to the statement, the Iranian Foreign Ministry had been actively seeking Musai’s release through diplomatic channels in both Tehran and London since learning of his arrest in January 2023. The ministry emphasized that efforts to secure his freedom are ongoing.
The 53-year-old Iranian national appeared before a federal court in the Northern District of Illinois on July 22, following his extradition from the United Kingdom. Musai faces multiple charges under American law, including “a multi-year conspiracy to ship advanced US radio frequency measurement technology to Iran via third countries, in violation of US export restrictions”. If convicted, he could face up to 55 years in prison.
