Thai officials held direct talks with Hamas in Iran last week over the fate of 22 of the kingdom’s nationals taken hostage by the Palestinian group after Oct 7, the head of the Thai delegation said.

Negotiators met Hamas officials in Tehran and were given a pledge that the Thais would be released at the “right time”, Areepen Uttarasin told reporters in Bangkok, according to AFP.

Areepen, who led the three-person team appointed by the speaker of the Thai parliament, said they held a two-hour meeting with Hamas officials in Iran.

“I asked them to release them because they are innocent,” he said.

“They assured me that they were taking good care of them, but they couldn’t tell me the release date… They were waiting for the right time.”