The Iranian claimed that a team of special operatives has freed an Nour Ahmad Nikbakht, but the Interior Ministry of Yemen denied that Iran had carried out a rescue operation, saying the diplomat was instead released in a prisoner swap “outside Yemen” in exchange for “terrorist elements” held by Iran.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/03/05/world/middleeast/ap-ml-iran-yemen.html
Well of course the regime has to make it look like a spectacular event saved him.