Iran sends protest note to U.S. via Swiss Embassy

TEHRAN,Aug.8(MNA)--Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Tuesday that a protest note has been sent to U.S. officials via the Swiss Embassy in Tehran. He said, “In the note, the United States has been held responsible for protecting the lives of… the Iranian pilgrims abducted in Damascus given the United States’ open support for terrorist groups and (its) shipment of weapons to Syria. “The United States, as a supporter of terrorism, is responsible for the lives of the Iranian pilgrims.” Amir-Abdollahian also called on the Turkish and Qatari governments to fulfill their responsibility for protecting the lives of those abducted. Asked if he could confirm reports claiming that three of the abducted people had been killed, the deputy foreign minister said, “According to (our) follow-ups, there is no confirmed report saying that these people have been killed, and we hope that we will see measures taken by countries that are responsible for the incident through diplomatic efforts and that all Iranian pilgrims will return to the country in good health.”