US veteran has been detained in the country for months, now the Tehran government confirmed the case.
A spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry has confirmed the imprisonment of 46-year-old US Navy veteran Michael White. An Iranian news agency had published the statement.
The detention was reported immediately to the US lobby in the Swiss embassy, the agency Tasnim quoted the spokesman for the ministry. It was the first official confirmation of the Iranian incident. However, the speaker did not mention reasons for the detention.
White had apparently wanted to visit his girlfriend in Iran. However, according to a New York Times report, he has been imprisoned in the city of Mashhad since July. The reasons for his arrest are still unclear.
Iran has already captured foreigners in the past in order to build political pressure. According to the AP news agency, there are currently three more Americans in Iranian captivity, a fourth missing in more than a decade. White is reportedly the first US citizen to be arrested in Iran’s presidency of President Trump.
The relations between the hostile states had worsened again recently. Last year, US President Donald Trump reintroduced tough sanctions after canceling the nuclear deal with Tehran.
