Two American-Jewish citizens arrested by Iranian security forces

Hengaw – Tuesday, July 29, 2025

Iranian security forces have arrested two American-Jewish citizens in the weeks following the Iran-Israel war. One of the detainees has been identified as Yehuda Hekmati, while the identity of the second, an Iranian-born individual, remains undisclosed.

According to information received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, 70-year-old Yehuda Hekmati and another American-Jewish citizen were arrested in mid-July 2025 while in Iran.

Israeli Channel 11 reported that Yehuda Hekmati remains imprisoned, while the second detainee was recently released on temporary bail.

Details indicate that Hekmati, a jeweler and gemstone trader, and his companion had traveled to Iran to visit family members when they were detained.