Iran's Hostage Diplomacy: A Decades-Long Strategy to Extract Concessions from Western Nations

Nov 06, 2025 02:32 am CST

Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran has consistently employed what experts call "hostage diplomacy" - detaining Western citizens to leverage concessions from adversaries. This strategic pattern continues today, with numerous Europeans and Americans detained on dubious charges while Tehran negotiates for asset unfreezing, prisoner exchanges, or other diplomatic concessions. Despite recent releases, many foreign nationals remain in Iranian custody, prompting calls for coordinated international responses beyond the current "piecemeal" approach.