DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – A spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry says his government "will try to speed up" a case involving a detained U.S. permanent resident accused by state-run media of being a spy.
Hossein Jaberi Ansari's comments are about Lebanese citizen Nizar Zakka. Zakka disappeared in Tehran in September after attending a government-sponsored conference.
Speaking Monday at a weekly news conference, Ansari also cautioned that the government does not directly intervene in court cases.
The Associated Press reported last week that the nonprofit Internet-advocacy organization headed by Zakka had received grants totaling $730,000 from the U.S. government for Middle East projects.
Zakka's family and his supporters are pressing the U.S. government to become more active in trying to obtain his release, arguing that his arrest was due to his ties to America.
Fox News' "Antisemitism Exposed" newsletter brings you stories on the rising anti-Jewish prejudice across the U.S. and the world.