Families and supporters of Americans detained in Iran are expressing deep concern over the escalating risks their loved ones face amid the intensifying conflict between Israel, the United States, and Iran. These detainees, already vulnerable due to their imprisonment, now confront the added dangers of becoming collateral damage in ongoing military strikes or targets of retaliation by Iran’s authoritarian regime.
Siamak Namazi, an Iranian American who endured nearly eight years of detention in Iran before his release in 2023 as part of a U.S. deal, described the current situation as one of the most terrifying moments for imprisoned Americans in the country. “What these families are facing now is days of war with no clear end in sight,” Namazi said, highlighting the anxiety and uncertainty that families are grappling with as the regional conflict intensifies.
The exact number of Americans held in Iran remains unclear, as the U.S. government has declined to confirm details citing security concerns. However, the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation, a prominent hostage advocacy group, reports that six Americans are currently detained and face unprecedented risks due to the ongoing military actions. Among these detainees are individuals from diverse backgrounds, including a reporter formerly based in Washington and a Jewish Iranian American from New York who traveled to Iran last year for family reasons and has since been barred from returning to the United States.
At least two of the detainees are being held in Evin Prison, Tehran’s infamous high-security facility known for housing political prisoners and previously targeted in Israeli airstrikes. This prison carries a notorious reputation, and its residents often endure harsh conditions. Kamran Hekmati, a 61-year-old from Long Island detained there, recently managed to speak with his wife to assure her of his safety. Still, his family remains deeply worried. Hekmati suffers from bladder cancer and has not received consistent medical treatment since his detention, raising fears that his health could deteriorate rapidly amid the chaos of war.
Shohreh Nowfar, Hekmati’s cousin and a resident of Los Angeles, summarized the family’s anguish: “It’s an uncertain time in an uncertain country.” The concerns are shared by other families and legal representatives who are urgently communicating with U.S. officials. Ryan Fayhee, the lawyer for another detainee, Iranian American reporter Reza Valizadeh, has been actively pressing White House and State Department officials to consider the detainees’ safety in the midst of the conflict.
Israel’s military has recently issued warnings on social media urging residents near Evin Prison to evacuate due to ongoing airstrikes. Reports from families of other foreign nationals imprisoned at Evin indicate that bombs have exploded close enough to shatter windows inside the detention facility, underscoring the precarious position of inmates. Fayhee emphasized the critical need for caution, stating, “There are innocent American citizens within that prison. They should take great care with this military action to avoid any unfortunate collateral damage.”
Despite the urgent concerns, U.S. government officials have refrained from commenting on the detainees’ status, citing safety and security concerns. However, they have reiterated calls for Iran to release all wrongfully detained Americans immediately. Anna Kelly, a White House spokesperson, reaffirmed President Trump’s position, saying, “He wants every American wrongfully detained to be returned home safe and sound, and there will be dire consequences for regimes who treat Americans as political pawns.”
Among the detainees is Reza Valizadeh, a 50-year-old Iranian American journalist currently imprisoned at Evin. Valizadeh fled Iran in 2009 after covering pro-democracy protests and obtained U.S. citizenship in 2022 while working for Radio Farda — the Persian-language branch of Radio Free Europe supported by the U.S. government. He returned to Iran to visit his elderly parents but was detained in 2024 and sentenced to 10 years in prison on charges of collaborating with the U.S. government. His case has been formally designated by the U.S. as wrongful detention, and the State Department’s special presidential envoy for hostage affairs is handling his case.
Valizadeh is one of at least 15 journalists currently imprisoned in Iran, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, reflecting the regime’s harsh crackdown on media and dissent.
Another American detainee is Afarin Mohajer, originally from Iran and residing in California. She was arrested in September on charges related to posting content critical of the Iranian government and its Supreme Leader