The Islamic Republic of Iran has, since 1979 and the Iran hostage crisis, engaged in repeated detentions of foreign or dual nationals. These detentions have lasted for extended periods, with a documented history of using the detained party as a bargaining chip in diplomatic negotiations. The list below of current and former detainees in Iran excludes people abducted in other countries and brought into the country.[why?]
Hostage diplomacy
Since the Iran hostage crisis, the Islamic Republic of Iran has engaged in a pattern of detaining foreign nationals for extended periods. According to the Center for Human Rights in Iran, the Iranian government has imprisoned dual and foreign-only nationals "as bargaining chips in its dealings with other nations." Iran's repeated dubious detention of dual citizens and thereafter bargaining behavior have lead observers to qualify the practice as a policy of hostage diplomacy.
According to French ex-hostage Louis Arnaud, who spent two years in Iranian custody, those detained are usually kept in solitary confinement. In an interview, he said that "Everything is done so that you are deprived of your humanity".
Detainees
Dual nationals of Iran and another country are particularly vulnerable to arbitrary detention because under the international Master Nationality Rule and treaty, "a State may not afford diplomatic protection to one of its nationals against a state whose nationality such person also possesses".
According to Human Rights Watch, "Iranian authorities have violated detainees' due process rights and carried out a pattern of politically motivated arrests." In November 2017, Reuters reported that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had arrested "at least 30 dual nationals during the past two years, mostly on spying charges."
Reactions
In September 2019, on the sidelines of the Seventy-fourth session of the United Nations General Assembly, families of dual and foreign nationals imprisoned in Iran as well former dual and foreign nationals imprisoned in Iran launched the Alliance Against State Hostage Taking."
In January 2023, France called for the release of seven nationals, who were held in Iran. One of the detainees, Fariba Adelkhak was arrested in June 2019, along with her colleague Roland Marchal. While Marchal was released in 2020, Fraiban Adelkhak remained in prison until 2023.
Current foreign nationals imprisoned in Iran
| Name | Detained | Citizenship | Days in detention | Reason for detention | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nazak Afshar | 12 March 2016 | France | 3568 | |||
| Ahmad Reza Jalali | 24 April 2016 | Sweden | 3525 | |||
| Abdolrasoul Dorri-Esfahani | 16 August 2016 | Canada | 3533 | In May 2017, convicted on espionage charges, including "collaborating with the British secret service," and sentenced to five years in prison. | ||
| Nahid Taghavi | 16 October 2020 | Germany | 1889 | |||
| Mehran Raoof | 16 October 2020 | UK | 1889 | |||
| Mikhail Drabkin | 22 October 2024 | Russia | 422 | Was convicted for taking pictures of prohibited places in Tehran and sentenced to two years and three months in prison. | ||
| Craig Foreman | January 2025 | UK | 351 | |||
| Lindsay Foreman | January 2025 | UK | 351 |
Armenian citizens
| Name | Detained | Released | Days in detention | Reason for detention | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silva Harotonian | 26 June 2008 | 10 March 2009 | 257 | Convicted of promoting a "soft" revolution in Iran on January 19, 2009, and sentenced to 3 years in prison. | At the time of her arrest, Harotonian was an administrative officer for a maternal and child health project in Tehran for International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX), a U.S. government-funded organization. |
Australian citizens
| Name | Detained | Released | Days in detention | Reason for detention | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jolie King | 1 July 2019 | 5 October 2019 | 96 | Also holds British citizenship. | ||
| Mark Firkin | 1 July 2019 | 5 October 2019 | 96 | |||
| Meimanat Hosseini-Chavoshi | December 2018 | 27 January 2019 | 57 | Iranian authorities have reportedly prevented her from leaving the country. | ||
| Kylie Moore-Gilbert | September 2018 | 25 November 2020 | 792 | Espionage | Also holds British citizenship. |
Austrian citizens
| Name | Detained | Released | Days in detention | Reason for detention | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massud Mossaheb | January 2019 | In detention | 2543 | |||
| Kamran Ghaderi | 2 January 2016 | In detention | 3638 |
Azerbaijani citizens
Azerbaijan-Iran relations
| Name | Detained | Released | Days in detention | Reason for detention | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farid Safarli | 5 March 2023 | 18 January 2025 | 685 | Espionage | Student at a German university at the time of his arrest. Travelled to Iran to meet his Iranian girlfriend, later arrested by the IRGC and held for 2 months in solitary confinement at the notorious Evin Prison. Farid Safarli's case has characteristics of a hostage situation. His detention came amid strained Azerbaijan-Iran relations early 2023, and his eventual release after almost 2 years was part of a prisoner exchange involving an Iranian spy held in Azerbaijan. This aligns with patterns seen in other cases where foreign nationals are detained in Iran under disputed charges to be used as a political bargaining chip. | |
| Rashid Aliyev | 5 October 2008 | 11 August 2010 | 676 | Espionage | Rashid Aliyev travelled to Iran in 2006 to work for the Sazan Electronics Industry Company in the city of Semnan, east of Tehran. Two years later he was accused of sending information on laser technology and electronic schemes to Azerbaijan and sentenced to 3 years in prison. | |
| Khalida Khalid | 30 April 2013 | 19 May 2013 | 20 | Espionage | ||
| Shamkhal Huseynov | 30 April 2013 | 19 May 2013 | 20 | Espionage | ||
| Farid Huseyn | 2 May 2012 | 4 September 2012 | 126 | Propaganda against the Islamic Republic of Iran | sentenced to 1 year in prison | |
| Shahriyar del Gerani (Hajiyev) | 2 May 2012 | 4 September 2012 | 126 | Propaganda against the Islamic Republic of Iran | sentenced to 1 year in prison | |
| Valida Yusifova | 2021 | July 2023 | 912 | Espionage |
Belgian citizens
| Name | Detained | Released | Days in detention | Reason for detention | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olivier Vandecasteele | February 2022 | 26 May 2023 | 479 | |||
| Diego Mathieu | 16 September 2009 | 8 December 2009 | 83 | Held in Evin Prison | ||
| Vincent Boon Falleur | 5 September 2009 | 8 December 2009 | 94 | Held in Evin Prison | ||
| Idesbald van den Bosch | 5 September 2009 | 8 December 2009 | 94 | Held in Evin Prison |
British citizens
| Name | Detained | Released | Days in detention | Reason for detention | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ana Diamond | 13 August 2014 | 21 April 2018 | 1347 | Held in Evin prison on charges of blasphemy and cooperation with a hostile US government. |
| |
| Dr. Aebraham Diamond & Dr. Eleanor Abbott-Diamond | July 2014 | February 2019 | 1706 | Held in Evin prison for collaborating with hostile governments. | Parents of Ana Diamond |
|
| Craig Foreman & Lindsay Foreman | January 2025 | In detention | 351 |
| ||
| Kameel Ahmady | 11 August 2019 | 17 November 2019 | 98 | Released on bail. Fled the regime. | ||
| Mehran Raoof | 16 October 2020 | In detention | 1889 | |||
| Abbas Edalat | 15 April 2018 | December 2018 | 230 | |||
| Morad Tahbaz | January 2018 | 18 September 2023 | 2086 | Conspiring with America | Member of group of 5 released in Sept 2023 in exchange for 5 U.S. prisoners and unfreezing of $6 billion in Iranian assets. (Iranian national with US and UK citizenship.) |
|
| Anoush Ashoori | August 2017 | 16 March 2022 | 1688 | Convicted of spying for Israel's Mossad and sentenced to 12 years in prison. | ||
| Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe | 3 April 2016 | 17 March 2020 (parole within 300 metres of house) 16 March 2022 | 2173 (part parole) | Sentenced to 5 years for "plotting to topple the Iranian government". | Iran (birth) / UK (2013) dual citizen |
|
| Kamal Foroughi | 5 May 2011 | 1 April 2020 | 3284 |
| ||
| Ghoncheh Ghavami | 20 June 2014 | 23 November 2014 | 156 |
| ||
| Roya Saberi Negad Nobakht | October 2013 | 25 August 2017 | 1424 | Subject to travel ban after release. Unclear if she has been permitted to depart Iran. |
| |
| Andrew Barber | 21 June 2010 | 18 August 2010 | 58 |
| ||
| Iason Athanasiadis | 17 June 2009 | 5 July 2009 | 18 | Also holds Greek citizenship. |
| |
| Roger Cooper | 7 December 1985 | 1 April 1991 | 1941 |
| ||
| Frank Skinner | 27 April 1981 | 13 April 1982 | 351 | Flight engineer for Iran Air held without charge. |
| |
| Andrew Pyke | 27 August 1980 | 28 January 1982 | 519 | British businessman who worked for Dutch-Iranian helicopter firm, accused of spying but never charged. |
| |
| Aras Amiri | 14 March 2018 | 16 August 2021 | 1251 | Sentenced to 10 years in prison for spying. |
Canadian citizens
| Name | Detained | Released | Days in detention | Reason for detention | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kavous Seyed-Emami | 24 January 2018 | 8 February 2018 | 15 | Died in custody under suspicious circumstances. Authorities say he committed suicide. | ||
| Abdolrasoul Dorri-Esfahani | August 2016 | In detention | 3533 | In May 2017, convicted on espionage charges, including "collaborating with the British secret service," and sentenced to five years in prison. | ||
| Homa Hoodfar | 6 June 2016 | 26 September 2016 | 112 | Undisclosed "security" charges | Before arrest, had been prevented from leaving country from March 2016. | |
| Maziar Bahari | 21 June 2009 | 17 October 2009 | 118 | |||
| Hossein Derakhshan | 1 November 2008 | 19 November 2014 | 2209 | Sentenced to 19.5 years on "several national security, obscenity and religious insult charges in connection with his online activism." | ||
| Hamid Ghassemi-Shall | 24 May 2008 | 23 September 2013 | 1948 | |||
| Zahra Kazemi | 23 June 2003 | 10 July 2003 | 17 | Died in custody as a result of torture. | ||
| Ramin Jahanbegloo | 27 April 2006 | 30 August 2006 | 125 | Plotting a "velvet revolution" | ||
| Philip Engs | 3 December 1986 | 8 February 1987 | 67 | Manager of oil services company, held in solitary confinement and interrogated at Evin Prison on ““Suspicion of espionage”’, never formally charged, and then released unharmed. | Concessions were made by his employer on their contract for services with NIOC while he was detained. |
Canadian permanent residents
| Name | Detained | Released | Days in detention | Reason for detention | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saeed Malekpour | 4 October 2008 | 3 August 2019 | 3955 | Escaped Iran while on furlough from prison. |
Dutch citizens
| Name | Detained | Released | Days in detention | Reason for detention | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sabri Hassanpour | 19 April 2016 | May 2018 | 742 | |||
| Zahra Bahrami | 27 December 2009 | Executed on 29 January 2011 | 398 | Arrested while participating in the 2009 Ashura protests. Charged with the capital crime of drug trafficking. Executed by hanging on 29 January 2011. |
Finnish citizens
| Name | Detained | Released | Days in detention | Reason for detention | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ana Diamond | 10 January 2016 | January 2018 | 722 | Arbitrary detention, later falsely accused of espionage for "MI6, CIA, Mossad, and others." | UK Permanent Resident at the time of arrest, as well as British naturalisation application in place. Subjected to travel ban shortly after her arrival in Iran in August 2014, ~500-days before her arrest in January 2016. Travel ban imposed again following her release from Evin prison on bail in August 2016. Acquitted of all charges in 2017 and travel ban lifted in May 2018. |
French citizens
| Name | Detained | Released | Days in detention | Reason for detention | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fariba Adelkhah | 5 June 2019 | October 2023 | 1579 | |||
| Nazak Afshar | 12 March 2016 | In detention | 3568 | |||
| Benjamin Brière | 26 May 2020 | 12 May 2023 | 1081 | spying and propaganda, for flying a drone in an unauthorised area and making social media posts concerning Iranian law | ||
| Nelly Erin-Cambervelle | 21 October 2018 | 21 February 2019 | 123 | "signing an illegal mining contract and carrying out an unauthorized trip" | Erin-Cambervelle is a businesswoman from the French Caribbean island of Martinique. | |
| Stéphane Lherbier | 29 November 2005 | 25 February 2007 | 453 | Detained with German Donald Klein. | ||
| Roland Marchal | June 2019 | 20 March 2020 | 293 | |||
| Bernard Phelan | 3 October 2022 | 12 May 2023 | 221 | Providing information to an enemy country | French-Irish. Sentenced to 6.5 years in February 2023. Had previously been sentenced to 3.5 years, and told he would be pardoned. | |
| Clotilde Reiss | 1 July 2009 | 16 May 2010 | 319 | |||
| Cécile Kohler | 1 May 2022 | 4 November 2025 | 1327 | "attempting to incite unrest and helping teachers strike in Iran" | ||
| Jacques Paris | 1 May 2022 | 4 November 2025 | 1327 | "attempting to incite unrest and helping teachers strike in Iran" | ||
| Lennart Monterlos | 16 June 2025 | In detention | 185 | "arrested for committing a crime" |
French permanent residents
| Name | Detained | Released | Days in detention | Reason for detention | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ruhollah Zam | 11 October 2019 | Executed on 12 December 2020 | 428 | Journalist, host of a 1.4 million follower Telegram chanel covering the 2017–2018 Iranian protests. |
German citizens
| Name | Detained | Released | Days in detention | Reason for detention | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helmut Szimkus | January 1989 | 14 June 1994 | 1639 | |||
| Helmut Hofer | September 1997 | January 2000 | 852 | Initially sentenced to death for having illicit sexual relations with an Iranian woman. | ||
| Donald Klein | 29 November 2005 | 12 March 2007 | 468 | |||
| Marcus Hellwig | 10 October 2010 | 19 February 2011 | 132 | |||
| Jens Koch | 10 October 2010 | 19 February 2011 | 132 | |||
| Jamshid Sharmahd | July 2020 | Executed on 28 October 2024 | 1549 | Journalistic activity criticizing the Islamic regime for 16 years | German citizen and US national. Jimmy was kidnapped on a business trip to India and taken to Iran. He has spent the entire detention at an unknown location, in solitary confinement and after what Amnesty International calls a sham trial condemned to death. | |
| Nahid Taghavi | 12 October 2020 | In detention | 1893 | on 4 June 2023, Marges Mohammadi (also detained in Iran) wrote on Instagram that Taghavi's state of health is so bad that her life is in danger. |
Italian citizens
| Name | Detained | Released | Days in detention | Reason for detention | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cecilia Sala | 19 December 2024 | 8 January 2025 | -20 |
Lebanese citizens
| Name | Detained | Released | Days in detention | Reason for detention | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nizar Zakka | 15 September 2015 | 11 June 2019 | 1395 | Permanent resident of the U.S. at time of arrest. |
New Zealand citizens
| Name | Detained | Released | Days in detention | Reason for detention | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Topher Richwhite | 9 July 2022 | 27 October 2022 | 110 | Travel blogger, detained following vehicle inspection at border | ||
| Bridget Thackwray | 9 July 2022 | 27 October 2022 | 110 | Travel blogger, detained following vehicle inspection at border |
Russian citizens
| Name | Detained | Released | Days in detention | Reason for detention | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yulia Yuzik | 2 October 2019 | 10 October 2019 | 8 | |||
| Mikhail Drabkin | 22 October 2024 | In detention | 422 | Was convicted for taking pictures of prohibited places in Tehran and sentenced to two years and three months in prison |
Swedish citizens
| Name | Detained | Released | Days in detention | Reason for detention | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown | June 2025 | In detention | - | Accused of espionage. | ||
| Ahmad Reza Jalali | 24 April 2016 | In detention | 3525 | |||
| Habib Chaab | October 2020 | Executed on 6 May 2023 | 947 | Death sentence upheld by Iranian supreme court March 2023. | ||
| Johan Floderus | 17 April 2023 | 15 June 2024 | 425 | Accused of espionage. | ||
| Stefan Johansson | 26 February 2006 | 16 April 2007 | 414 | Convicted for espionage and sentenced to 3 years in prison. | ||
| Jari Hjortmar | 26 February 2006 | 16 April 2007 | 414 | Convicted for espionage and sentenced to 3 years in prison. |
South African citizens
| Name | Detained | Released | Days in detention | Reason for detention | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stuart Timm | 10 January 1997 | 17 February 1997 | 38 |
United States citizens
| Name | Detained | Released | Days in detention | Reason for detention | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emad Shargi | 30 November 2020 | 18 September 2023 | 1022 | Member of [50] in exchange for 5 U.S. prisoners and unfreezing of $6 billion in Iranian assets. Had been sentenced to 10 years in January 2021. Had previously been cleared in December 2019. (Iranian national who also holds US citizenship.) | ||
| Michael White | July 2018 | 19 March 2020 | 627 | |||
| Morad Tahbaz | January 2018 | 18 September 2023 | 2086 | Conspiring with America | Member of group of 5 released in Sept 2023 in exchange for 5 U.S. prisoners and unfreezing of $6 billion in Iranian assets. (Iranian national who also holds US and UK citizenship.) | |
| Xiyue Wang | 8 August 2016 | 7 December 2019 | 1216 | |||
| Gholamreza (Reza) "Robin" Shahini | 11 July 2016 | 21 March 2017 | 253 | |||
| Karan Vafadari | 20 July 2016 | 21 July 2018 | 731 | Released on bail but reportedly has not been permitted to leave Iran. | ||
| Baquer Namazi | 22 February 2016 | 1 October 2022 | 2413 | Released during the Mahsa Amini protests | ||
| Siamak Namazi | 13 October 2015 | 18 September 2023 | 2895 | Espionage | Member of group of 5 released in Sept 2023 in exchange for 5 U.S. prisoners and unfreezing of $6 billion in Iranian assets. (Iranian national who also holds US citizenship.) | |
| Nosratollah Khosravi-Roodsari | May 2015 | 16 January 2016 | 260 | |||
| Matthew Trevithick | 7 December 2015 | 16 January 2016 | 39 | |||
| Jason Rezaian | 22 July 2014 | 16 January 2016 | 543 | |||
| Saeed Abedini | 28 July 2012 | 16 January 2016 | 1277 | |||
| Masoud Jamali Ashtiani | 20 May 2012 | 20 May 2013 | 365 | propaganda against the regime | 41 days in solidarity confinement | |
| Afsaneh Azadeh | 13 May 2012 | September 2012 | 111 | Azadeh was released from detention to house arrest from September 2012 – November 2012. She was not permitted to leave the country until May 2013. | ||
| Amir Hekmati | 29 August 2011 | 16 January 2016 | 1601 | |||
| Joshua Fattal | 31 July 2009 | 21 September 2011 | 782 | |||
| Shane Bauer | 31 July 2009 | 21 September 2011 | 782 | |||
| Sarah Shourd | 31 July 2009 | 14 September 2010 | 410 | |||
| Roxana Saberi | 31 January 2009 | 11 May 2009 | 100 | |||
| Esha Momeni | 15 October 2008 | 10 November 2008 | 26 | Momeni was released on bail in November 2008 but she was not permitted to leave Iran until August 2009. | ||
| Reza Taghavi | May 2008 | 16 October 2010 | 898 | |||
| Nik Moradi | 31 October 2007 | 15 April 2008 | 167 | |||
| Kian Tajbakhsh | 11 May 2007 | 19 September 2007 | 140 | |||
| Ali Shakeri | 8 May 2007 | 25 September 2007 | 140 | |||
| Haleh Esfandiari | 8 May 2007 | 21 August 2007 | 105 | |||
| Robert Levinson (alleged) | 9 March 2007 | Presumed dead 25 March 2020 | >1333 (alleged) | U.S. agent working for the CIA who disappeared on Kish Island. Proof of life in captivity in an unknown location was received in November 2010, but Iran has never acknowledged his arrest or detention; he was presumed dead in March 2020. | ||
| Dariush Zahedi | 10 July 2003 | 9 November 2003 | 122 | |||
| Daniel Baumann | 10 January 1997 | 16 March 1997 | 65 | Dual U.S.-Swiss citizen. Arrested with South African Stuart Timm. | ||
| Gerald Seib | 31 January 1987 | 4 February 1987 | 4 | Wall Street Journal reporter who had been visiting Iran with a group of journalists. | ||
| Jon Pattis | 16 June 1986 | October 1991 | 1933 | Sentenced to 10 years in prison in 1987 for espionage. | ||
| David Rabhan | 1980 | 6 August 1990 | 3518 | |||
| Abbas Alizadeh | May 2021 | 19 August 2021 | 110 | Espionage | House arrest. Released in return for Elamite tablets. |
United States permanent residents
| Name | Detained | Released | Days in detention | Reason for detention | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afshin Sheikholeslami Vatani | 27 June 2020 | In detention | 2000 | Released on bail in February 2019 but reportedly has not been permitted to leave Iran and then arrested again in 2020. | ||
| Afarin Neyssari | 20 July 2016 | 21 July 2018 | 731 | Released on bail but reportedly has not been permitted to leave Iran. | ||
| Shahab Dalili | 20 March 2016 | In detention | 3560 | cooperating with a hostile government | U.S. permanent resident | |
| Jamshid Sharmahd | 1 August 2020 | Executed on 28 October 2024 | 1549 | Accused of complicity in the 2008 Shiraz bombing. | German citizen and U.S. permanent resident. Jimmy was kidnapped on a business trip to India and taken to Iran. He has spent the entire detention at an unknown location, in solitary confinement and after what Amnesty International calls a sham trial condemned to death. |
|
Iran hostage crisis detainees (1979–1981)
| Name | Detained | Released | Days in detention | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cynthia Dwyer | 5 May 1980 | 10 February 1981 | 281 | Civilian. Freelance writer convicted on trumped-up charges of espionage and other crimes |
| Mohi Sobhani | 6 September 1980 | 4 February 1981 | 151 | Civilian |
| Thomas L. Ahern, Jr. | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | |
| Clair Cortland Barnes | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | |
| William E. Belk | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | |
| Robert O. Blucker | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | |
| Donald J. Cooke | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | |
| William J. Daugherty | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | |
| Robert Englemann | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | |
| William Gallegos | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | |
| Bruce W. German | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | |
| Duane L. Gillette | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | |
| Alan B. Golacinski | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | |
| John E. Graves | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | |
| Joseph M. Hall | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | |
| Kevin J. Hermening | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | |
| Donald R. Hohman | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | |
| Leland J. Holland | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | |
| Michael Howland | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | |
| Charles A. Jones, Jr. | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | |
| Malcolm K. Kalp | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | |
| Moorhead C. Kennedy Jr. | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | American Foreign Service officer |
| William F. Keough, Jr. | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | |
| Steven W. Kirtley | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | |
| Kathryn L. Koob | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | |
| Frederick Lee Kupke | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | |
| Bruce Laingen | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | American diplomat |
| Steven Lauterbach | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | |
| Gary E. Lee | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | |
| Paul Edward Lewis | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | |
| John Limbert | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | American diplomat |
| John D. McKeel, Jr. | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | |
| Michael J. Metrinko | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | |
| Jerry J. Miele | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | |
| Michael E. Moeller | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | |
| Bert C. Moore | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | |
| Richard Morefield | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | |
| Paul M. Needham, Jr. | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | |
| Robert C. Ode | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | |
| Gregory A. Persinger | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | |
| Jerry Plotkin | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | Civilian |
| Regis Ragan | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | |
| David M. Roeder | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | |
| Barry M. Rosen | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | |
| William B. Royer, Jr. | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | |
| Thomas E. Schaefer | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | |
| Charles W. Scott | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | |
| Donald A. Sharer | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | |
| Rodney V. Sickmann | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | |
| Joseph Subic, Jr. | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | |
| Elizabeth Ann Swift | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | |
| Victor L. Tomseth | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | American diplomat |
| Phillip R. Ward | 4 November 1979 | 20 January 1981 | 444 | |
| Richard Queen | 4 November 1979 | 11 July 1980 | 250 | American diplomat |
| Wesley Williams | 4 November 1979 | 20 November 1979 | 16 | |
| Joan Walsh | 4 November 1979 | 20 November 1979 | 16 | |
| David Walker | 4 November 1979 | 20 November 1979 | 16 | |
| Joseph Vincent | 4 November 1979 | 20 November 1979 | 16 | |
| Terri Tedford | 4 November 1979 | 20 November 1979 | 16 | |
| Neal Robinson | 4 November 1979 | 20 November 1979 | 16 | |
| Lloyd Rollins | 4 November 1979 | 20 November 1979 | 16 | |
| Elizabeth Montagne | 4 November 1979 | 20 November 1979 | 16 | |
| Lillian Johnson | 4 November 1979 | 20 November 1979 | 16 | |
| James Hughes | 4 November 1979 | 20 November 1979 | 16 | |
| Kathy Gross | 4 November 1979 | 19 November 1979 | 15 | |
| Ladell Maples | 4 November 1979 | 19 November 1979 | 15 | |
| William Quarles | 4 November 1979 | 19 November 1979 | 15 |
See also
- Iranian nationality law
- Iran's hostage diplomacy
- Human rights in Iran
- Lebanon hostage crisis
- Iran hostage crisis
wikipedia, wiki, encyclopedia, book, library, article, read, free download, Information about List of foreign nationals detained in Iran, What is List of foreign nationals detained in Iran? What does List of foreign nationals detained in Iran mean?