ICYMI: Sen. Lieberman Denounces Iranian Hostage-Taking, Urges U.S. To Remain Tough On Tehran

(New York, N.Y.) – Today, United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) Chairman Senator Joseph I. Lieberman joined Fox Business’ “Mornings With Maria,” where he discussed the Islamic Republic of Iran’s historic and continued use of taking Americans hostage and the importance of avoiding incentives for hostage-taking to continue into the future. Asked about his thoughts on negotiating with Tehran over the fate of American hostages, Senator Lieberman said:

“Iran didn’t stop taking American hostages after the big hostage crisis ended in 1981. It has continued to do so and uses them as bargaining tools. But when I hear … that we may be considering removing limitation sanctions on some of their assets that we’re tying up now, that’s a dreadful mistake because it gives the Iranians exactly what they want. They take these hostages; they use American hostages to negotiate with us in return for what they really want, which is an easing of sanctions. And there’s no indication from the Iranian government that they are prepared to do what we want, including what the Biden Administration has said, which is that they really stop their nuclear weapons development program, stop aggression in the Middle East, stop the repression of the human rights of their citizens and stop taking our hostages.”

To watch Senator Lieberman’s appearance on Fox Business, please click here.

Earlier this year, Senator Lieberman and UANI CEO Ambassador Mark D. Wallace organized an open letter to the Biden Administration that was signed by current and former U.S., British, Israeli and Saudi officials recommending that “no deal should be consummated with Iran unless and until every American and foreign hostage it has imprisoned is released. Additionally, Iran must cooperate with the investigation into the probable death of Robert Levinson in Iranian custody.”

Barry Rosen, UANI Senior Advisor and survivor of the 1979 Iran Hostage Crisis, also recently urged the Biden Administration to take a firm position on the release of hostages in an April op-ed for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel:

“Without action, there can be no hope of an end to the business of Iran’s hostage diplomacy … Ultimately, our opening gambit to any resumption of talks on any deal with Iran, whether the nuclear accords or any matter on our mutual agendas, must be as follows: Free hostages first and then talk.”

To read UANI’s Open Letter to the Biden Administration: A Path Forward for the P5+1 and Iran, please click here. 

To read Barry Rosen’s op-ed in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, please click here.

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