The US has expressed dismay after a court in Iran jailed an Iranian-American journalist, Roxana Saberi, for eight years on spying charges.
Ms Saberi, 31, was sentenced after a secret one-day trial in Tehran.
President Barack Obama “is deeply disappointed at this news,” his spokesman Robert Gibbs said.
Correspondents say the case will have serious implications for US-Iranian relations at a time when Mr Obama has reached out to the Tehran.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton earlier expressed her disappointment at the sentence.
She said the US would vigorously raise its concerns about the case with Tehran.