August 9, 2017 In July 2017, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas, introduced a companion legislation to U.S. Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen’s bipartisan resolution calling for the unconditional release of U.S. citizens and permanent legal residents unjustly detained for political purposes by Iran.
This bill also urges the U.S. and its allies whose nationals have been detained to consider establishing a multinational task force to secure the release of the detainees.
Meanwhile, the White House released a statement in July reiterating President Donald Trump’s commitment to securing the release of Iranian-Americans who are being held by Iran. Trump has warned Tehran that it would face severe consequences should it fail to release the detainees.
Baqer Namazi, Siamak Namazi, Nizar Zakka (a Lebanese-American) and Xiyue Wang (a Chinese-American researcher from Princeton University) are among those held by Iran.
Cruz’s resolution also calls on Tehran to cooperate with the U.S. government to locate and return Robert Levinson, an F.B.I agent who disappeared in 2007 in Kish Island. He is believed to be currently held captive by the government of the Islamic Republic.
