While supporters of the deal have praised it as a significant diplomatic breakthrough, critics quickly noticed a glaring omission.
There is no publicly released provision addressing Americans currently imprisoned by the Iranian regime.
That omission has renewed concerns among families, attorneys, and advocates who have spent years fighting for the release of U.S. citizens detained by one of America’s most hostile adversaries.
Among the most prominent detainees is Iranian-American journalist Reza Valizadeh.
Valizadeh was arrested in September 2024 while visiting relatives in Iran. Authorities later sentenced him to a decade behind bars after accusing him of cooperating with what the regime described as a hostile government.
His supporters insist the charges are politically motivated and tied to his journalism rather than any criminal activity.
Before his arrest, Valizadeh spent nearly 30 years covering developments across Iran and the broader Middle East. He also worked for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty for a decade, building a reputation as a respected reporter focused on regional affairs.
According to his attorney, conditions have become increasingly difficult since his imprisonment.
Communication with the journalist has reportedly become sporadic due to internet restrictions imposed by Iranian authorities during periods of unrest. Despite those obstacles, Valizadeh has occasionally managed to send voice messages through encrypted communication platforms.
In one message, he voiced frustration that prisoner releases were apparently left out of the diplomatic discussions.
“The U.S. government could have demanded our exchange in return,” he said.
Valizadeh also pleaded for basic humanitarian improvements for those being held inside Iranian prisons.
“At least demand real medical services for us,” he said.
His attorney says the journalist has described worsening conditions inside Tehran’s infamous Evin Prison, a facility long associated with political prisoners and human rights complaints.
According to those reports, inmates face food shortages, extended periods of isolation, inadequate medical treatment, and significant psychological pressure.
Valizadeh has also expressed concern that Iranian authorities attempted to gain access to passwords, electronic devices, and sensitive information following his detention.
Those fears remain unresolved, according to his legal team.
He is not the only American believed to be imprisoned in Iran.
Reports indicate that Kamran Hekmati is also being held at Evin Prison.
According to advocates familiar with his case, Hekmati’s imprisonment stems from a trip to Israel more than ten years ago, where he attended his son’s bar mitzvah.
His supporters say he is now battling bladder cancer while remaining behind bars.
Advocates further believe at least four additional Americans continue to be detained by Iran.
Their identities have not been publicly released because relatives fear that publicity could trigger retaliation from Iranian authorities or worsen their treatment.
The imprisonment of Americans in Iran is hardly a new issue.
The conflict stretches back decades, most notably to the 1979 hostage crisis, when Iranian revolutionaries stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and held more than 50 Americans captive for 444 days.
Since then, successive administrations have attempted to secure the freedom of detained Americans through sanctions, diplomacy, and prisoner exchanges.
President Trump previously negotiated the release of American citizens held by foreign governments during both of his terms in office, making the absence of detainee provisions in the current agreement especially notable to supporters.
Administration officials have described the new memorandum as a foundation for broader discussions involving regional stability, security concerns, and future relations between the two nations.
However, many details remain undisclosed.
Negotiators now face a 60-day window to transform the preliminary framework into a permanent agreement.
For the families of Americans still sitting in Iranian prisons, that timeline represents both hope and uncertainty.
Advocates argue that any lasting arrangement between Washington and Tehran should include the release of U.S. citizens as a non-negotiable condition.
Without that commitment, they warn, Americans detained by the Iranian regime risk becoming an afterthought in a deal designed to reshape relations between the two countries.
For now, the negotiations continue.
And so does the wait for the Americans who remain locked behind prison walls in Iran.
