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A former chief hostage negotiator during the early Trump and Biden administrations warned that the Iranians are tougher negotiators than the Russians, the Chinese and even the Taliban, and noted that several Americans are still unjustly detained in Iran and should be included in any peace talks.
Roger Carstens, former US special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, said in an interview with Fox News that six US citizens are being held captive in Iranian prisons, each formerly held in Tehran’s Evin prison, known for its harsh conditions. He said the Iranians will likely use the American hosts as a “sweetener” to ensure negotiations go “in Iran’s direction” as the United States seeks a nuclear deal and a permanent ceasefire.
“Interestingly, the Russians, the Chinese, the Taliban, the Venezuelans, when you start getting involved in discussions about organization, they tell the truth and they deliver what they promise. You can make a handshake agreement with the Taliban and they are going to deliver on it,” Carstens said. “The Iranians. Absolutely not.”
While Carstens remains confident that American negotiators can secure the return of the six Americans, he said Iran is unlike any other foreign government he has worked with and cannot 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 9, 2025 in Austin, Texas. (Robby Klein)
He said the Iranians are the type of negotiators who would probably make “quick action” until the last moment.
“The Iranians cannot be trusted until the last second,” Carstens said. “If you were landing a plane in Geneva or even in Tehran, to pick up your Americans, you better be there with a clipboard making sure that the people who are coming on the plane are the people you expected.”
Only two of the American hosts have been publicly identified: Kamran Hekmati, 61, and Reza Valizadeh, 49.
A motorist passes a banner with images of Iran’s slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his son Mojtaba Khamenei on a street in Tehran on April 15, 2026. (AFP/Getty Images)
Hekmati is an American Jew who also has Iranian citizenship. He was imprisoned 11 months ago after being accused and convicted of visiting Israel in the last 10 years.
Like Hekmati, Valizadeh has dual Iranian and American citizenship. He previously worked for US-funded Radio Farda, covering corruption and electoral manipulation in Iran. Valizadeh was arrested in September 2024 during a visit to see his family and was sentenced after being found guilty of working with a hostile government.
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A view of the entrance to Evin Prison in Tehran, Iran, on October 17, 2022. (Majid Asgaripour/WANA)
Carstens suggested there was unlikely to be time for the Americans and Iranians to discuss the release of the six Americans during the 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 come to the negotiating table,” Carstens said. “The question on my mind during these negotiations is not whether they will be at risk or frustrated, but rather what it will take and how we, the United States, will value them.” [the hostages]?”
President Donald Trump does not mention the release of American hosts in his four goals for ending the war with Iran. Carstens asks that the return of the locals be the fifth objective.
President Donald Trump hosted his second Cabinet meeting of 2026 and the 11th of his presidency. (Will Oliver/EPA/Bloomberg)
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“Let’s make this an official request, and when we come in, let’s not only officially request it, but also take responsibility for doing the work,” Carstens said. “The good news is that Trump has a great record of bringing Americans home.”
A senior White House official told Fox News Digital that future peace talks with Iran are being discussed, but nothing has been scheduled yet.
“President Trump is always concerned about Americans detained abroad, which is why he has brought home more than 100 people, a record number, from around the world,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the State Department for additional comment.