The Trump administration has confirmed reports that Iran has been imprisoning an American Navy veteran for the past six months, The Washington Free Beacon reported on Tuesday.
"We are aware of reports of the detention of a U.S. citizen in Iran," a State Department spokesperson said, adding that although "we have no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens abroad… due to privacy considerations, we have no additional information to provide at this time."
Michael White, 46, was arrested in July while he was visiting his Iranian girlfriend, his mother Joanne White told The New York Times on Monday.
She filed a missing person’s report after her son failed to board his flight out of Iran, and State Department officials informed her a few weeks ago that he was found in an Iranian prison.
CNN pointed out that tensions between Iran and the US have intensified following President Donald Trump’s decision to withdrew from the nuclear deal with the Islamic republic in May and reinstated sanctions against the regime.
Joanne White told the Times, “All I know is that he is alive, and they were putting in a request for a consular visit by the Swiss.”
The Swiss have provided consular services for Americans in Iran since 1980 when the U.S. cut off diplomatic ties with Tehran.