Iran has confirmed the arrest of an Iranian-American who was visiting family in the country, the latest in a series of arrests of dual nationals by the Islamic republic over the past year.
Iran's semiofficial ISNA news agency on July 24 cited Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejehi, spokesman for the country's judiciary, as saying that the man was arrested in the city of Gorgan but gave no reason for his detention.
The man, whose name was not released, was then transferred to Tehran for investigation, Ejehi was quoted as saying.
The announcement comes just days after the U.S. State Department said it was looking into reports that an Iranian-American man named Robin Shahini was detained in Iran earlier in July.
According to friends of Shahini, who lives in California, he was arrested in Gorgan while visiting his mother.
His family members told The Associated Press previously that they feared Shahini, who left Iran in 1998 and has lived in San Diego for 16 years, was arrested because of critical comments he made online about Iran's human rights record.
In January, Tehran released Washington Post correspondent Jason Rezaian and three other Iranian-Americans in a prisoner exchange.
