The United States has denied that Iranian-born American citizen Amir Mirzai Hekmati, arrested by Tehran authorities, is a spy and called on the Iranian government to release him "without delay."
The denial followed a broadcast by Iranian authorities taunting the U.S. with the news that authorities had captured an unidentified American spy who had crossed into the country after previously being identified as a CIA operative by Iranian agents at America's Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan.
The 28-year-old, who speaks Arabic, was shown Sunday in a broadcast confessing to being a spy for the CIA, assigned to infiltrate Iranian intelligence after having undergone 10 years of military intelligence training.
The Iranian Fars news agency reported that Hekmati, born in Arizona, received language training and became an intelligence analyst after beginning his service with the U.S. military in 2001.
A Marine spokesperson said Hekmati might have worked as an informal translator for his unit at one point, but official records showed only that he was a rifleman. There is no record of any military intelligence training at all.
The unnamed U.S. State Department official said that Hekmati's family, who live in the United States, had first reported the ex-Marine's arrest back in September, although Iran warned the family to "keep quiet" about the capture if they wanted him eventually to be released.
His father, a microbiology professor at Mott Community College in Flint, Michigan, noted in an interview with the Associated Press, "They have lied about any American... captured in Iran for visiting or tourism, or for any other reason." He said the closest his son has come to the charges has been his work for BAE security contractor, and then for another security firm in Qatar prior to going to visit his grandmothers.
"We have requested access to Mr. Hekmati via our Swiss Protecting Power," the official told CNN. Switzerland represents the United States in the Islamic Republic, since the two countries have no diplomatic ties. "We call upon the government of Iran to grant the Swiss Protecting Power immediate access to Mr. Hekmati and to release him without delay," the official said.
Hekmati's father Ali said his son had gone to his homeland to visit his two grandmothers this summer for his first visit ever. He was arrested on August 29, just two weeks after his arrival.
The elder Hekmati told ABC News he believes his son was forced into the confession that he is a double agent for the CIA. "These are all unfounded allegations and a bunch of lies," said the elder Hekmati, a professor at Mott University.
"My son is no spy," he added. "I am absolutely afraid to death; I don't know what they are going to do with him."
"We have seen this story before," State Department officials said Monday. "The Iranian regime has a history of falsely accusing people of being spies, of eliciting forced confessions, and of holding innocent foreigners for political reasons."