By Fariba Raad | 2025-04-04

Foreign visitors remain unsafe in Iran as the Islamic Republic continues to pursue its policy of "hostage diplomacy" by seizing travelers and tourists to further its political aims.

Analysts note the Islamic Republic's detention of foreign nationals and dual citizens often coincides with critical moments in discussions about its nuclear program.

Tehran's nuclear program is once again in the spotlight as the United States pursues a renewed "maximum pressure" sanctions campaign to curb its nuclear acceleration and support for regional proxies.

French national Olivier Grondeau, who has described himself as a hostage of the Iranian regime -- arrived in Paris March 17 after his release from an Iranian prison after 887 days -- 72 of them in solitary confinement.

Grondeau, who was visiting Iran on a valid tourist visa, was arrested in Shiraz during the tumultuous period following the death in "morality police" custody of Mahsa Amini, an event that sparked widespread protests across Iran.

He was charged with espionage -- allegations he and the French government vehemently denied -- and handed a prison sentence.

He said he was interrogated Tehran's Evin prison, and blindfolded every time he was taken out of his cell, where the lights were kept on round-the-clock.

Analysts point to a pattern, in which the Iranian regime detains individuals, often on vague or unsubstantiated charges of espionage, and then releases them according to its geopolitical interests.

Civilian pawns

Australian academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert, who was a hostage of the Islamic Republic from 2018 to 2020, told Pishtaz that "this is a trend."

"As we see the geopolitical landscape evolving and a more highly competitive environment emerging, there’s all sorts of tactics being used to advance political interests, and this is one of them," she said.

"It is a regrettable development taking innocent people hostage. It is morally and legally reprehensible. Rewarding Iran with money and other concessions means endorsing Iran’s actions," she said.

"Governments should stand firm, in mediation, negotiations and dialogue. Until then, no one is safe," said Forward Thinking founder and director Oliver McTernan, a senior associate fellow of the Defence Academy of the UK.

For now, analysts told Pishtaz, hostage diplomacy remains a card the Islamic Republic uses to pressure governments for concessions, as it edges closer to acquiring a nuclear bomb.

This policy is too profitable for the Islamic Republic to abandon, they said, meaning unsuspecting tourists with valid documents and visas visiting Iran will continue facing the same risks and fate as Grondeau and others like him.