Former US hostage negotiator suggests detained Americans could be used in negotiations
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A former hostage negotiator during the first Trump and Biden administrations warned that the Iranians are tougher negotiators than the Russians, Chinese and even the Taliban, noting that many Americans are still wrongfully detained in Iran and should be included in any peace talks.
Former US Special Presidential Representative for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens said in an interview with Fox News that six American citizens are being held captive in Iranian prisons; Each of them was previously held in Tehran’s Evin prison, known for its harsh conditions. He said the Iranians would likely use American hostages as a “sweetener” to keep negotiations moving “in the Iranian direction” at a time when the United States is seeking a nuclear deal and a permanent ceasefire.
“Oddly enough, the Russians, the Chinese, the Taliban, the Venezuelans, when you start hostage discussions they tell the truth and they keep their word. You can have a handshake agreement with the Taliban and they will do it,” Carstens said. “Iranians. Absolutely not.”
While Carstens was confident that U.S. negotiators could secure the return of the six Americans, he noted that Iran was unlike any foreign government he had worked with and could not be trusted.
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Roger D. Carstens poses in the Getty Images Portrait Studio presented by IMDb and IMDbPro at SXSW 2025 on March 09, 2025 in Austin, Texas. (Robby Klein)
He said the Iranians were the kind of negotiators who could make a “quick move” right up until the last moment.
“You can’t trust the Iranians until the last second,” Carstens said. “If you’re landing a plane in Geneva, or even Tehran, to pick up your Americans, you better be there with a clipboard to make sure the people coming on the plane are the people you’re negotiating with.”
The identities of only two of the American hostages have been made public: 61-year-old Kamran Hikmeti and 49-year-old Rıza Valizade.
A driver passes a banner with photos of Iran’s slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his son Mojtaba Khamenei along a street in Tehran on April 15, 2026. (AFP/Getty Images)
Hikmati is a Jewish American who also holds Iranian citizenship. He was jailed 11 months ago after being accused and convicted of visiting Israel in the last 10 years.
Like Hekmati, Valizadeh holds dual Iranian and American citizenship. He previously worked for the US-funded Radio Farda, covering corruption and election manipulation in Iran. Valizadeh was arrested in September 2024 while visiting his family and convicted of working with a hostile government.
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A view from the entrance of Evin prison in Tehran, Iran. October 17, 2022. (Majid Asgaripour/WANA)
Carstens said it was unlikely the Americans and Iranians would have had any time to discuss the release of the six Americans during marathon 21-hour peace talks in Pakistan earlier this month.
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“I think the Iranians will be smart enough to keep these people healthy and ready to throw themselves to the negotiating table,” Carstens said. “The question in my mind during these negotiations is not whether they will be risked or whether they will turn out, but what it will lead to and how we in the United States will value them. [the hostages]?”
President Donald Trump does not mention the release of American hostages in his four goals for ending the Iran war. Carstens calls for the return of hostages as a fifth goal.
President Donald Trump hosted the second Cabinet meeting of 2026 and the 11th of his presidency. (Will Oliver/EPA/Bloomberg)
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“Let’s make this a formal request, and when we go in, not only formally request it, but hold ourselves accountable for getting the job done,” Carstens said. “The good news is that Trump has a great track record of bringing Americans home.”
A senior White House official told Fox News Digital that future peace talks with Iran have been discussed, but nothing is planned yet.
“President Trump is always concerned about Americans detained abroad, so he brought home more than 100 (a record number) from around the world,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told Fox News Digital. he said.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the State Department for additional comment.
