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Egypt is expelling an Iranian diplomat who was briefly detained and questioned on charges of illegally gathering intelligence for Tehran, security officials said.

Qassem al Husseini, the diplomat, was arrested on Saturday in his Cairo home, after the Egyptian intelligence tracked his movements, Al Jazeera’s Ayman Mohyeldin reported.

Husseini was charged with attempting to set up spy rings in Egypt and other Arab countries.

He was released after a two-hour detention, Haydar Moslehi, Iran’s intelligence minister, said on Sunday, according to Iranian state television’s website. Moslehi also said that Egyptian authorities apologised for the incident – though he did not elaborate.

The diplomat, who was working for Iran’s Interest Section in the Egyptian capital, was accused of being an agent for Tehran’s intelligence services, gathering information and spying on Egypt since the end of its January 25 revolution, our correspondent, reporting from Cairo, said.