An Iranian-American journalist who once worked for a U.S. government-funded broadcaster is believed to have been detained by Iran for months now, authorities said Sunday, further raising the stakes as Tehran threatens to retaliate over an Israeli attack on the country.
The imprisonment of Reza Valizadeh, acknowledged to CBS News and the Associated Press by the U.S. State Department, came as Iran marked the 45th anniversary of the American Embassy takeover and hostage crisis on Sunday.
It also followed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei threatening both Israel and the U.S. the day before with “a crushing response” as long-range B-52 bombers reached the Middle East in an attempt to deter Tehran.
Valizadeh had worked for Radio Farda, an outlet under Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that’s overseen by the U.S. Agency for Global Media.
In February, he wrote on the social platform X that his family members had been detained in an effort to see him return to Iran.
The State Department told CBS News on Sunday that they are “aware of reports that his U.S.-Iranian citizen has been arrested in Iran,” when asked about Valizadeh.
Read the full story from CBS News
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