Iran Releases Ominous Video of Detained US Businessman
An Iranian-American businessman arrested a year ago in Iran was shown in a public video for the first time, released by Iran's judicial news service.
With dramatic music playing in the background, the video shows Siamak Namazi with his hands raised along with his U.S. passport and United Arab Emirates identification.
The video also highlighted clips of American sailors kneeling in surrender after being detained by Iranian forces in the Persian Gulf last year.
The end of the footage shows Rep. Ed Royce, R-Calif., chariman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. He did not comment on being in the video.
Royce previously said that Iran's arrest of Namazi showed its "contempt for America."
Namazi was in Iran to advocate improved relations between the United States and Iran before his arrest. He was the head of strategic planning at Crescent Petroleum, a conglomerate that is based in the United Arab Emirates.
He was taken into custody last October, and reports say his arrest could be an act of retaliation from opponents of the nuclear agreement in Iran.
