TEHRAN – A Iranian news outlet on Monday reported that Nizar Zakka, a Lebanese-American national who had been imprisoned in Iran since 2015 on charges of working with the U.S. intelligence service, was to be freed and handed over to Lebanon later the day.

Quoting an unnamed source, the Fars news agency said the “American-Lebanese spy” was expected to be delivered to Lebanon “only based on request and mediation by Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah”.

On the other end of the line, a source familiar with the case had told the Beirut-based Daily Star on Saturday that Zakka would arrive in Beirut within 48 hours.

The Lebanese Foreign Ministry announced earlier last week that Iran had agreed to free Zakka after President Michel Aoun and Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil requested for his release as a good-will gesture in the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Zakka was arrested during a trip to Iran in 2015 on charge of having “deep links” to U.S. intelligence services.

SP/PA