Today marks 43 years since the takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. Followers of Ayatollah Khomeini held our diplomats hostage for 444 days, tormenting them and, by extension, their families at home in the United States. We are grateful for the selfless sacrifice of our diplomats who served in Tehran – just as we are for the service of all American diplomats who work to advance U.S. national security interests around the world, often under harrowing circumstances.
Beyond the Embassy takeover, the Iranian regime has a long history of unjustly imprisoning foreign nationals for use as political leverage, and we remain committed to securing the release of all wrongfully detained U.S. citizens. We again underscore that Iran must allow U.S. citizens Emad Shargi, Morad Tahbaz, and Siamak Namazi to return home to their loved ones.