The Los Angeles Times reported on Tuesday that Iranian regime proxy Mowaffak Rubaie was stranded and detained for 15 hours in Boston’s Logan International Airport on February 20.

Mowaffak Rubaie  told the newspaper that he felt “degraded” at his detention during which he was not even allowed a bathroom visit or to use a telephone.

Rubaie who was subjected to three pat-down searches, traveled to the U.S. on his British passport under the name Mo Baker which he has used many times to enter the country, but was denied entry after issues were raised by U.S. customs. He told the paper that showing his Iraq diplomatic passport which carries his real name also raised concerns.

While retired U.S. diplomat Daniel Serwar told the paper that U.S. rules make it exceedingly difficult even for people who are close friends to the country to enter, the Jordan-based Iraqi political analyst and commentator Ahmed al-Abyadh said that the scenario was meant to give a message to the Iraqi government that the United States has some doubts over its politics and its alliance with Iran.

“It is clear that the U.S. government does not feel comfortable with Iraq’s Shiite leaders,” Abyadh said, expecting that this “discomfort” to be on the increase.

Despite some confusion on whether Rubaie’s detention was due to security or political reasons, Abyadh said that “it could also be an attempt by the U.S. to clear old records with Iraq.”