Iranian American Man Jailed in Tehran Family Member Says

An elderly Iranian American man, who is Jewish, is being held in Tehran's notorious Evin Prison on charges related to a trip to Israel 13 years ago to celebrate his son's bar mitzvah, a family member said.

70-year-old Kamran Hekmati was sentenced because Iranian law prohibits Iranians from traveling to Israel. According to a source familiar with their arrests, who agreed to speak on condition of anonymity, Hekmati is one of at least four Americans currently detained in Iran. News of Hekmati's detention was first reported by the New York Times.

Iranian American journalist Reza Valizadeh has been detained in Iran since 2024.

The State Department would not discuss Hekmati's case directly, citing confidentiality, and a department spokesperson said they were unable to disclose the number of American citizens detained in Iran.

The spokesperson said, "The Iranian regime has a long history of unjustly and wrongfully detaining citizens of other countries. Iran should immediately release these individuals."

Iran's mission to the United Nations declined to comment on their detention.

Family members, who spoke anonymously to PLPL News out of concern about repercussions against Hekmati, confirmed that he traveled to Iran from his home in New York for a personal visit in May and was arrested in July after repeated interrogation at a relative's home. According to the family member, Hekmati is battling bladder cancer and is in poor health. His family hopes he will be released on humanitarian grounds.

The State Department has long warned Americans against traveling to Iran due to the increased risk of detention.

A State Department spokesperson said, "Anyone with ties to the United States, including American-Iranian citizens, is at serious risk of interrogation, arrest, and detention in Iran." "We continue to engage with allies and partners on this issue and on cases of unjust detention in Iran in general."