An American detained in Iran in July 2018 is being investigated on possible security charges, an Iranian prosecutor was quoted as saying Friday, in a case that could further strain relations between Iran and the United States.
Ties between Tehran and Washington took a turn for the worse following U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision last May to pull out of an international nuclear deal and re-impose sanctions on Iran.
Several Americans have been detained in Iran in recent years, mostly on security-related charges including espionage. Trump warned in 2017 that Tehran would face “new and serious consequences” unless all unjustly held U.S. citizens were freed.