The Fate Of An Imprisoned American Journalist Hinges On What Trump And Iran Do Next

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WASHINGTON – Iran and America are poised for war. The Trump administration has surrounded the Middle Eastern country with a staggering quantity of military personnel and equipment, and many officials and experts now see an American strike within weeks as inevitable, likely to spur a sharp Iranian response, then a spiraling and gruesome conflict. The best way to avert that outcome is successful diplomacy, but its prospects are extremely slim. Trapped in Iran’s most notorious jail is an ailing Iranian American journalist whose situation helps explain why: Reza Valizadeh.

Imprisoned by Iranian authorities over his ties to the U.S. and work as a reporter, Valizadeh was deemed “wrongfully detained” by the State Department in May 2025. That unlocked “special consideration” and government resources to help free him, a GOP congressional aide told HuffPost. The status bolstered Valizadeh’s relevance to President Donald Trump’s personal “commitment to leaving no American behind” and to Washington’s overall claim of fighting Iranian repression.

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“We have a lot of faith in the negotiators [with Iran] and the president. This has been a top-of-mind issue for him and for the administration: They don’t waver on bringing people home,” the Republican aide said, saying Trump had so far freed roughly 150 Americans held abroad. Asked for comment on Valizadeh, the State Department sent HuffPost a statement from a U.S. official demanding his release and that of “all others unjustly detained in Iran,” adding: “The Iranian regime has a long and shamefu