Iranian-American reportedly detained in Iran; 4th in custody
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An Iranian-American businessman who advocated better ties between Iran and the U.S. reportedly has been arrested and imprisoned in Tehran, becoming the fourth U.S. citizen known to be held there at a time when hard-liners are pushing back against the country's nuclear deal with world powers.
The reasons for the reported detention of Siamak Namazi were not immediately known, though hard-liners in Iran's judiciary, military and intelligence services have warned against easing hostilities with the U.S. On Friday, Iran and the U.S. sat down together in new multilateral talks with other countries, trying to end Syria's long civil war.
In addition to Namazi's detention, an Internet freedom group said a Washington-based Lebanese citizen recently disappeared while on a trip to Tehran.
Namazi, who is believed to be in his 40s, was arrested earlier this month while visiting Tehran, according to reports in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and The Washington Post, all of which relied on anonymous sources. Attempts by The Associated Press to reach family members of Namazi, who has a home in Washington, weren't immediately successful Friday.
