US confirms detention of Iranian-American journalist in Tehran

An Iranian-American journalist who once worked for a US 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 was confirmed by the US State Department.

Valizadeh had worked for Radio Farda, an outlet under Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that's overseen by the US Agency for Global Media.

In February, he wrote on the social platform X that his family members had been detained in an effort to make him return to Iran. In August, Valizadeh apparently posted two messages suggesting he had returned to Iran.

"I arrived in Tehran on March 6, 2024. Before that, I had unfinished negotiations with the (Revolutionary Guard's) intelligence department," the message read in part. "Eventually I came back to my country after 13 years without any security guarantee, even a verbal one."

Rumors have been circulating for weeks that Valizadeh had been detained.

The Human Rights Activists News Agency, which monitors cases in Iran, said that he had been detained on arrival to the country earlier this year but later released. He was then rearrested and sent to Evin prison, where he now faces a case in Iran's Revolutionary Court

The State Department said it was "aware of reports that this dual US-Iranian citizen has been arrested in Iran" when asked about Valizadeh. "We are working with our Swiss partners who serve as the protecting power for the United States in Iran to gather more information about this case," the State Department said.

Iran has not acknowledged detaining Valizadeh. Iran's mission to the United Nations did not respond to a request for comment.

Military response to Israel may change if it agrees to ceasefire: Iran

Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Sunday that his country would respond to Israel's recent attack on its territory, but its nature and intensity could change if Israel stops its aggression in the region and agrees to a ceasefire.

Pezeshkian was speaking during a Cabinet meeting in the capital, Tehran.

He said leaders from the US and European countries promised Iran that they would announce a ceasefire in Gaza if Tehran refrained from responding to the assassination in July of Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of the Palestinian group Hamas.

He said Israel "tried to provoke war by assassinating Haniyeh on the first day of our government's work".

Pezeshkian said Iran showed restraint based on the advice of some countries, hoping to reach a ceasefire and end the killing of innocent women and children.

Reaffirming Iran's intent to respond to the Israeli attack, Pezeshkian said: "If they reconsider their actions, agree to a ceasefire, and stop killing the oppressed and innocent in the region, this could affect the type and intensity of our response."

In the early hours of October 26, the Israeli military announced that it had launched a four-hour assault on Iran. Since then, Israel has raised its alert level and deployed the American THAAD air defense system, anticipating an Iranian response.

The Israeli attack followed Iran's launch of over 180 rockets at Israel in early October, which Tehran said was "revenge" for the assassination of Haniyeh, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Abbas Nilforoushan.

On Saturday, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed "a harsh response" against both the US and Israel for their actions against Tehran.

Addressing a large group of students in the capital, Khamenei said: "We are certainly doing everything necessary to prepare the Iranian nation to stand against arrogance, whether in terms of military readiness, armaments or political actions, and our officials are currently engaged in this."