Washington D.C. – We, along with many in the Iranian-American community, are deeply concerned by reports indicating that as many as four Iranian Americans have been arrested by Iranian authorities, including two since the Israel-U.S. war on Iran in June. While details remain unclear, we call on Iranian authorities to release all those unjustly detained in Iran – including dual nationals.
For many members of the Iranian-American community, travel to Iran is the only way that they are able to see their loved ones, particularly following the enactment of harsh travel bans and ICE arrests of Iranians here in the United States. According to a recent YouGov poll commissioned by NIAC, nearly 1 in 5 Iranian Americans travels to Iran regularly, and nearly 2 in 5 Iranian Americans travel to Iran at least every decade.
The detention comes on the heels of public statements by the Iranian president calling for members of the diaspora to return. Arbitrarily harassing and detaining dual nationals, particularly on unsubstantiated charges, directly undermines that call along with broader efforts to cool tensions and build toward a broader peace that serves the people of America, Iran and the broader region. Iran must move swiftly to clear those unjustly accused of wrong-doing, release them and allow them to return to the United States. Long, drawn-out politicization of these cases and treatment of the individuals as hostages does not gain the Iranian state any good will or benefit, but it does provide an opening to those seeking to stoke hostilities and push the U.S. and Iran back into war.
This is how war reverberates across borders. When there’s threat of war, the rights of ordinary people come under threat, whether it’s ICE arrests of Iranians in the U.S. or politically motivated detentions in Iran. These crises are connected. They demand urgent diplomacy and cross-border solidarity.