As the Trump administration navigates delicate negotiations with Iran, a pressing humanitarian crisis remains largely out of public view: at least six American citizens are wrongfully detained in Iranian prisons. Advocates and family members are calling on President Trump to make their unconditional release a non-negotiable, publicly stated condition of any agreement—and to ensure Iran can no longer use hostage-taking as a diplomatic tool.
Diane Foley, whose son James was kidnapped in Syria and killed by ISIS in 2014, and Neda Sharghi, whose brother Emad was held in Iran from 2018 to 2023, are leading that charge. In a recent appeal, they stressed that the names of the detained Americans are rarely spoken in official Washington. “What about our hostages?” they asked, underscoring the disconnect between the administration’s broader Iran policy and the fate of individual citizens.
The most recent cases include Reza Valizadeh, a journalist detained in September 2024, and Kamran Hekmati, a grandfather and entrepreneur of Jewish faith taken in May 2025. Both are held at Evin Prison, a facility notorious for systematic abuse of political prisoners. Valizadeh suffers from debilitating asthma and has been denied medication; Hekmati, a bladder cancer survivor, requires regular monitoring that the prison cannot provide.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio took a step forward on February 27 by designating Iran a State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention. That designation sends a clear signal that hostage-taking is illegal and will have consequences. But the families argue that a label alone is insufficient. “It must be supported by a clear position that there is no deal until every American hostage is free,” Foley and Sharghi wrote.
The Trump administration has touted success in bringing home wrongfully detained Americans, achieving a 22-year high in returns since taking office. On March 9, Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day, President Trump reiterated his commitment: “To every American unjustly held abroad—we will not waver in our commitment to bringing you home safely and securely.” Yet critics note that none of the six in Iran have been freed, and negotiations with Tehran have not publicly prioritized their release.
Any agreement with Iran, advocates insist, must include not only the return of all hostages but also accountability for the hostage-takers and enforceable guarantees that Iran will never again detain U.S. nationals as bargaining chips. Without such conditions, they warn, the diplomatic window could close with Americans still behind bars.
The stakes extend beyond these six individuals. A failure to secure their freedom could embolden other nations to use hostage diplomacy against Americans traveling or working abroad. As the administration weighs its next moves—including ongoing tensions over the Strait of Hormuz and a reported $1.5 trillion Pentagon request—families are pleading for moral clarity. “May Trump have the moral courage to prioritize freedom for the six fellow Americans held captive by Iran and start by saying their names,” Foley and Sharghi urged.
For those with loved ones in Iranian custody, every day is a vigil. The administration’s actions in the coming weeks will determine whether the United States treats hostage recovery as a core diplomatic imperative or an afterthought.
