The London-based Arabic language newspaper A-Sharq al-Awsat reported Wednesday that the Iranian army has lost contact with one of its high-ranking officers based in Iraq. The report states that the officer, Mohammed Muhsayin Shiradi, from a unit in the Jerusalem Brigade, has not been in touch with his commanders for three weeks.
A senior source in the Iranian military told the newspaper that it is possible that Shiradi has been arrested by American forces.
Iran is already concerned by the disappearance last month of its former deputy defense minister, who vanished in Istabul. Tehran claims that Ali Reza Asghari has been abducted, and accused the United States and Israel of orchestrating his kidnap.
Meanwhile, the Washington Post last week cited a senior U.S. official as saying that Asghari had left his country and was willingly giving with Western intelligence agencies information on Hezbollah and Iranian ties to the group.