American journalist Max Blumenthal detained by US customs upon return from Iran

American journalist Max Blumenthal, editor of The Grayzone, was detained and had his electronic devices seized by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers upon his return from Iran. According to a report by Press TV, Blumenthal described the questioning and seizure as a politically motivated response to his reporting from Iran.

Blumenthal stated, "As punishment for my factual journalism, I was subjected to political harassment by the Trump administration upon my return from Iran." He said CBP officers searched his luggage and demanded access to his mobile phones. After he declined to unlock the devices, the agents seized them. He claimed the confiscation was intended to discourage his reporting on Iran, and that officers repeatedly questioned him about his future travel plans.

"The seizure of my devices was a clear act of intimidation aimed at deterring me and others from doing further critical reporting from Iran, which is likely why my interrogators from CBP demanded to know if I would be returning to Tehran to report any time soon," Blumenthal said.

He said the scrutiny followed his recent reporting from Iran, which included coverage of public reactions to regional developments and reporting on US-Israeli aggression and the assassination of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei. Blumenthal accused his interrogators of acting on political motives and claimed they were part of an "Israeli-influenced criminal cartel" that was "clearly threatened by my reporting from Tehran."

Blumenthal was among several foreign journalists who traveled to Iran to attend the farewell and funeral ceremonies of the martyred Leader. According to the report, the United States and Israel assassinated Ayatollah Khamenei, alongside some of his family members, on February 28, the first day of the 40-day illegal war of aggression on Iran.

The report by Mehr News Agency added that Blumenthal's detention and device seizure highlight ongoing tensions between US authorities and journalists covering Iran.