Iran Press/Iran news: The official said on Saturday: "Michael White was one of the American veterans who entered the country two years ago under the disguise of a tourist.”
He added: "Michael White intended to cover up his presence in the country in order to provide the opportunity for espionage by deceptive methods and to communicate with Iranian citizens, but he was identified and arrested by the Ministry of Intelligence's Counterintelligence."
“At the same time, he faced complaints from a private plaintiff. Finally, about two years after his conviction, He was expelled from the country due to the aggravation of his illness and humanitarian reasons and after undergoing the judicial process,” The head of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence Counterintelligence said.
Commenting on Trump's repeated messages and words of gratitude to Iran for White's release, the intelligence official said: "Trump desperately needs public support after being desperate and helpless in the case of coronavirus disease management, as well as protests against discrimination and racism."
“Information from the Ministry of Intelligence Counterintelligence shows that some politicians in the United States, including Brian Hook, were planning to exploit Michael White's death due to severe illness to maximize political exploitation against the Islamic Republic of Iran in the form of a news bomb. With his release, they were denied this opportunity,” he concluded.
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyyed Abbas Mousavi announced the release of a US citizen Michael White, who was imprisoned on security charges in Iran, on Thursday.
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman also noted that "After coronavirus spread, according to the order of the head of the Judiciary Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi, White was given furlough, but as long as he had no one in Iran, he was handed over to the US interests section in Iran, i.e. the Embassy of Switzerland. As he had some symptoms of the virus, he was totally examined and after making sure that he was not sick, the freedom verdict was implemented."
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