Iran Confirms Arrest of American Citizen in Mashhad

On Wednesday, January 9, the spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry confirmed the arrest of an American citizen in Mashhad, while simultaneously denying reports of 'mistreatment of this prisoner.' Bahram Qasemi told reporters that Iran informed Washington about the arrest of Michael White 'in the early days of his detention' through the U.S. Interests Section in Tehran. Recently, reports emerged regarding the detention of an American citizen named 'Michael R. White' in Mashhad, and his confinement in Vakilabad Prison, which was also confirmed by the U.S. State Department. This is the first case of an American citizen's arrest in Iran during Donald Trump's presidency. Mr. White, who has a history of service in the U.S. Navy, has been imprisoned in Mashhad since early July, but it is unclear what charges he is facing. The statements from the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson do not provide any clues in this regard. Bahram Qasemi merely stated that the case of this American citizen 'is under review' and that information will be provided once the relevant authorities complete their work. The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson also accused American media of 'creating an atmosphere and intensifying psychological warfare' against the Islamic Republic, stating that reports from these media about 'poor conditions and mistreatment' of Michael White are 'targeted fabrications' and are 'strongly denied.' The news of Michael White's imprisonment was first reported by the 'Iran Wire' website on Sunday, citing a former inmate at Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad, who claimed that Mr. White 'is being held alongside dangerous criminals, including murderers and professional drug traffickers, and his life is in danger.' The report adds that Michael White traveled to Iran to meet his girlfriend, whom he had met online, and this was not his first trip to the country. The 'New York Times' also published a report on Tuesday, citing Michael White's mother, who stated that the motivation for his trip to Iran was to meet his girlfriend. She emphasized that she is unaware of the charges against her son and did not know what had happened to him for the first few months, only learning three weeks ago from U.S. State Department officials that her son was imprisoned in Iran. The New York Times notes that Michael White's arrest could escalate tensions between Iran and the United States. Currently, at least three other American citizens are imprisoned or banned from leaving Iran, two of whom hold dual Iranian-American citizenship, Siamak and Baqer Namazi. Baqer Namazi is currently on medical leave outside of prison but is banned from leaving the country. Zhao Wang, a Chinese-American researcher at Princeton University, has also been sentenced to ten years in prison in Iran. Additionally, Robert Levinson, a former FBI agent, disappeared in the winter of 2006 after traveling to Kish Island, but Iranian officials claim they have no information about his fate. The list of American citizens who have been imprisoned in Iran in recent years includes Jason Rezaian, a journalist for the Washington Post, Amir Hekmati, a former Marine, Saeed Abedini, a Christian convert, and Nasratollah Khosravi Rudsari. Meanwhile, Mr. Rezaian has filed a lawsuit in a U.S. federal court seeking one billion dollars in damages from Iran.