Search on Ifri.org

About Ifri

Frequent searches

Suggestions

Hostage diplomacy of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The case of Europeans detained in Iran

Papers
|
Date de publication
|
Image de couverture de la publication
couverture Clément Therme
Accroche

The so-called hostage diplomacy of the Islamic Republic of Iran refers to a political and diplomatic strategy in which Tehran uses the detention of Western nationals, dual citizens, or Iranian citizens residing in Europe, Australia, or the United States as leverage in diplomatic negotiations. This practice aims to exert pressure to secure political, economic, or diplomatic concessions as part of Tehran’s asymmetric response strategy. Hostage diplomacy remains a controversial yet effective tool from the perspective of the Islamic Republic of Iran, given its context of economic sanctions and diplomatic isolation.

Image principale
Photo publi Clément therme
Richard Ratcliffe le 13e jour de sa grève de la faim devant le ministère des Affaires étrangères britannique pour obtenir le retour d’Iran de sa femme Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, Londres - 5 novembre 2021
© Dominic Dudley/Shutterstock.com
Table of contents
Table of contents
body

European efforts to deter this practice, such as targeted sanctions against Iranian officials involved, have failed to achieve significant progress since the 2000s. This phenomenon highlights the tensions between Tehran’s claims of national sovereignty and international norms on human rights and diplomacy.

Hostage diplomacy is widely criticized by human rights organizations and Western governments. In the case of European hostages, this practice exacerbates tensions between Iran and the countries involved, complicating negotiations. From Europe’s perspective, the Islamic Republic will continue to be seen as an unreliable diplomatic actor as long as this practice persists.

This publication is only available in French : La diplomatie des otages de Téhéran. Le cas des Européens détenus en Iran

Decoration

Available in:

ISBN / ISSN

979-10-373-0962-4

Share

Download the full analysis

This page contains only a summary of our work. If you would like to have access to all the information from our research on the subject, you can download the full version in PDF format.

Hostage diplomacy of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The case of Europeans detained in Iran

Decoration
Author(s)
Image principale
Süleymaniye Mosque, Istanbul, Türkiye
Turkey/Middle East Program
Accroche centre

Ifri's Turkey/Middle East Program aims to provide expertise on the trends and developments in politics, societies and economies across the region.

The programme has the following objectives:

  • Proposing a new approach towards the MENA region through an analysis of local, regional, and international dynamics with the potential to guide and influence new policies.
  • Highlighting the role of foreign powers which have traditionally been present in the region and analyzing the new role taken on by emerging countries ;
  • Anticipating new directions and outlooks in each country.
  • Interpreting risks and potentials and putting forward new templates for analysis.

The programme has built a dense network of researchers and experts who provide expertise on the MENA region and working together on a range of crosscutting themes.

Image principale

Is the Republican People’s Party (CHP) Rising from the Ashes?

Date de publication
24 September 2024
Accroche

The victory of the CHP [Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi, Republican People’s Party] in the Turkish municipal elections of March 2024 firmly established it as the leading party of opposition to the Islamic-conservative AKP [Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi, Justice and Development Party], which has been in power since 2002. 

Image principale

Israel-Palestine: One Solution, Two States

Date de publication
07 June 2024
Accroche

First proposed in 1936, the two-state solution has got lost over the course of several Israeli-Arab wars, colonization, the failure of the Oslo Accords, and the strategies of Israeli governments seeking rapprochement with certain Arab regimes. But it is currently the only imaginable solution. The numerous obstacles in its path could be overcome if the United States and its allies decided to impose it on the Israelis and Palestinians in opposition to their short-term visions.

Image principale

"A Capital City Will Always Be a Capital City”: Konya’s Rise Under the AKP’s Rule

Date de publication
27 March 2024
Accroche

While the May 2023 parliamentary and presidential elections looked as a difficult test for the flagging Islamo-conservative Justice and Development Party (AKP), they eventually held on to power, demonstrating their remarkable foothold in the Turkish context. The party notably recorded one of its highest scores in Konya, confirming the massive and uninterrupted support of this two-million inhabitants central Anatolian city for Turkish political Islam.

Image principale

Thirty Years on from the Oslo Accords: An Israeli Perspective

Date de publication
11 October 2023
Accroche

The Oslo agreements signed in 1993 raised high hopes for peace in the Middle East. But appraising the state of affairs, thirty years on, the picture is bleak. 

Page image credits
Richard Ratcliffe le 13e jour de sa grève de la faim devant le ministère des Affaires étrangères britannique pour obtenir le retour d’Iran de sa femme Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, Londres - 5 novembre 2021
© Dominic Dudley/Shutterstock.com

How can this study be cited?

Image de couverture de la publication
couverture Clément Therme
Hostage diplomacy of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The case of Europeans detained in Iran, from Ifri by
Copy
Image de couverture de la publication
couverture Clément Therme

Hostage diplomacy of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The case of Europeans detained in Iran