Hostages in Iran
More than 45 years after the start of the Iran hostage crisis, Iran continues to take Americans and other Westerners hostage—particularly persons who also hold Iranian citizenship. The Iranian regime currently holds several known American and European citizens, residents, and asylees on trumped-up charges.
Iran takes hostages for several reasons. They serve as bargaining chips for the regime to extract geopolitical concessions from other countries. The government also seeks to punish undesirable behavior and deter Iranians from expressing internal dissent. Finally, Iran does not recognize dual citizenship, so by targeting dual nationals, the regime demonstrates to the Iranian expatriate community that they are not beyond Tehran’s grasp.
Some hostages’ names have been made public by their loved ones in order to build international pressure on Iran to free them. Families of other captives have chosen to keep their cases secret in the hope of quietly obtaining their release. Here, UANI profiles current publicly disclosed hostages—as well as several released ones and three who were executed or otherwise died in captivity—to spotlight both their plight and the criminal nature of the regime in Tehran.
More than 45 years after the start of the Iran hostage crisis, Iran continues to take Americans and other Westerners hostage—particularly persons who also hold Iranian citizenship. The Iranian regime currently holds several known American and European citizens, residents, and asylees on trumped-up charges.
Iran takes hostages for several reasons. They serve as bargaining chips for the regime to extract geopolitical concessions from other countries. The government also seeks to punish undesirable behavior and deter Iranians from expressing internal dissent. Finally, Iran does not recognize dual citizenship, so by targeting dual nationals, the regime demonstrates to the Iranian expatriate community that they are not beyond Tehran’s grasp.
Some hostages’ names have been made public by their loved ones in order to build international pressure on Iran to free them. Families of other captives have chosen to keep their cases secret in the hope of quietly obtaining their release. Here, UANI profiles current publicly disclosed hostages—as well as several released ones and three who were executed or otherwise died in captivity—to spotlight both their plight and the criminal nature of the regime in Tehran.
Hostages in Iran: Current
Hostages in Iran: Recently Released
Hostages in Iran: Executed or Otherwise Died in Captivity
Receive Iran News in Your Inbox.
Eye on Iran is a news summary from United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), a section 501(c)(3) organization. Eye on Iran is available to subscribers on a daily basis or weekly basis.