Iran says 10 missing fishermen found in UAE

Ten Iranian fishermen who had been missing in Gulf waters since early August are alive in the United Arab Emirates and expected to return home this week, Iran's foreign ministry said Monday.

Mohammad Soleimani, head of the ministry's representative office in Hormozgan province, said 13 fishermen had been missing amid concerns they may have been arrested after entering neighbouring countries' territorial waters.

Soleimani said the UAE informed Iran's embassy in Abu Dhabi that 10 of the fishermen were in the country and could leave. He said the men did not have passports, so the embassy issued travel documents for them.

He said there was still no information about the other three missing fishermen and that Iran was continuing to follow up with neighbouring countries.

There was no immediate response from the UAE to the Iranian account.

The case follows an announcement by Iran's embassy in the UAE in July that 55 detained Iranian fishermen had returned home after efforts by the embassy in Abu Dhabi and the consulate in Dubai.