Federal agents arrested a man whose mother served as a spokeswoman for the Islamist embassy captors during the hostage crisis that began in 1979.

April 11, 2026

A State Department statement on the matter did not accuse the three arrested of any specific unlawful or harmful acts but stated that the Trump administration “will never allow America to become a home for foreign nationals tied to anti-American terrorist regimes.”

Mr. Hashemi is the son of Masoumeh Ebtekar, who served as the English-language spokeswoman for the Islamist embassy captors during the 444-day hostage crisis. Mr. Hashemi had been the subject of recent reports in conservative media outlets that portrayed him as living comfortably in Los Angeles while working as a psychology professor.