Iranian-American Journalist Reportedly Held by Iran for Months
Iranian-American journalist Reza Valizadeh, previously associated with the US-backed broadcaster Radio Farda, has reportedly been detained in Iran for several months, a development acknowledged by the US State Department on Sunday. This disclosure comes amid heightened tensions as Iran observes the 45th anniversary of the US Embassy takeover and issues warnings in response to Israel’s recent operations.
This holiday season, give to:
Truth and understanding
The Media Line's intrepid correspondents are in Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Pakistan providing first-person reporting.
They all said they cover it.
We see it.
We report with just one agenda: the truth.
Valizadeh, who had worked for Radio Farda, a Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty outlet funded by the US Agency for Global Media, last publicly communicated in August. In these messages, he implied that he had returned to Iran despite its perception of Radio Farda as a hostile institution. His earlier statements on X, formerly Twitter, revealed his family’s detention in February as an attempt to force his return to Iran.
In March, Valizadeh reportedly arrived in Tehran, allegedly following discussions with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard’s intelligence branch. His message on social media detailed, “I arrived in Tehran on March 6, 2024. Before that, I had unfinished negotiations with the [Revolutionary Guard’s] intelligence department,” explaining that he returned without assurances for his safety. He also identified a man he claimed was affiliated with Iran’s Intelligence Ministry, though this individual’s role could not be independently confirmed.
