The United States is urging Iran to grant consular access to jailed Iranian-American journalist Roxana Saberi.
A U.S. State Department spokesman, Gordon Duguid, told reporters on Wednesday that the U.S. is pushing for the access through Swiss diplomats who represent U.S. interests in Tehran.
Iranian authorities arrested Saberi in January, accusing her of working illegally in the country after her press credentials were revoked. She is being held in Tehran's Evin prison.
The journalist met with a lawyer in Tehran earlier this month.
The spokesman says State Department officials spoke with Saberi's father on Wednesday and that he and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are very concerned about Saberi's well-being,
The Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday it was alarmed by a news report in which Saberi was quoted as saying she might remain in prison for "months or even years."
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
