US silent on American Jew held in Iran for alleged Israel ties

70-year-old Yehuda Hekmati remains in Iranian custody as State Department avoids comment and minorities face increased pressure.

By David Brummer, World Israel News

The U.S. State Department on Tuesday declined to comment on reports that Iran has jailed two American citizens, both Jewish, on charges of spying for Israel.

One of the men, identified as 70-year-old Yehuda Hekmati, remains in Iranian custody, according to Iran International.

Hekmati, reportedly a jeweler with ties to New York, was detained after Iranian authorities flagged a trip he made to Israel seven years ago.

The other detainee, an Iranian-American from Los Angeles, has been released on bail.

Neither the U.S. nor the Iranian government has publicly confirmed the arrests.

Human rights group HRANA first reported the case, which has since drawn concern among diaspora activists.

Asked about the situation, U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said, “I hope I’ll be able to speak about this soon.”

She offered no details on the identities of the detainees or the nature of the charges.

The State Department has long warned American citizens—especially dual nationals—not to travel to Iran, citing a high risk of arbitrary detention.

Its website states that U.S. citizens have been “wrongfully detained, taken hostage by the Iranian government for months and years.”

An unnamed source quoted by Israel’s Channel 11 described the case as a matter of bad timing.

“These two Americans were in the wrong place at the wrong time,” the source said.

The arrests come amid a broader crackdown in Iran targeting both minorities and foreigners.

Since the end of the recent 12-day war between Israel and Iranian-backed groups, Tehran has escalated its domestic security efforts.

Jewish citizens in Iran have reportedly faced intense scrutiny, including interrogations over family connections in Israel.

Some Jewish conscripts have been forced to participate in pro-regime displays of loyalty, according to local reports.

Human rights experts say the regime is using the post-war climate to clamp down on dissent and shift public focus away from internal challenges.

Foreign nationals have also become targets.

French citizens Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, already imprisoned in Iran since 2022, now face additional espionage charges that could lead to execution.

Iran’s judiciary chief recently announced that more than 2,000 people have been detained in connection to alleged wartime collaboration with Israel. Many face charges of “organized collaboration with the enemy”—a serious offense under Iranian law.

Some of those charges carry the death penalty.

The Trump administration has not clarified what, if any, diplomatic steps are being taken on behalf of the detained Americans.

As of Wednesday, Hekmati remains behind bars, with little public information available about his condition or legal status.

His family has not made a public statement.

U.S. officials continue to urge Americans to avoid travel to Iran due to “serious risks of arrest and detention.”