The U.S. State Department confirmed that Iranian-American journalist Reza Valizadeh has been detained in Iran for several months. Valizadeh, who formerly worked for the U.S.-funded broadcaster Radio Farda, was reportedly arrested in Tehran in September and is currently held in Evin Prison. He had returned to Iran in March without any formal security guarantees, after saying he had unfinished discussions with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard intelligence.
Valizadeh’s detention was acknowledged as Iran marked the anniversary of the 1979 U.S. Embassy takeover. The U.S. is working with Swiss diplomats, who manage U.S. interests in Iran, to obtain further details. Iran has not publicly confirmed Valizadeh’s detention, and its U.N. mission has not responded to inquiries.
The State Department criticized Iran’s practice of detaining foreign nationals, describing it as unjust and a violation of international standards. The incident comes as tensions rise between Iran, the U.S., and Israel following recent Israeli strikes on Iran, with Iran vowing retaliation. The State Department has renewed its travel warnings, advising U.S. citizens to avoid travel to Iran due to risks of arbitrary detention.
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