In October, President Trump chose not to recertify the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal, giving Congress 60 days to decide on the future of the agreement. As Congress weighs action and the administration consults with our European partners, policymakers must consider Iran’s history of holding Americans and dual-nationals hostage, including those held captive today. On the 38th anniversary of the Iran hostage crisis, it’s the least we can do.

In 2016, the Obama administration admitted that the nuclear deal and hostages run along “parallel tracks.” As a candidate, President Trump came to a similar conclusion, stating “We have four people over there, prisoners that they’re keeping – hostages, whatever you want to call them – that’s not part of the deal. Why isn’t that part of the deal?”