Former Iran hostages to receive up to $4.4-million in compensation The former Iranian hostages were held captive in Iran for 444 days from 1979 to 1981. The Washington Post reported on Thursday that President Obama signed a provision of the omnibus bill that provides up to $4.4-million to each of the 37 surviving hostages and the estates of the 16 deceased hostages. While financial compensation validates the suffering the hostages, many hostages are more focused on current Iranian/U.S. relations.
The former hostages are calling on Obama to reject the visa application for Iran’s new United Nation’s ambassador, Hamid Aboutalebi. Former hostage Barry Rosen says Aboutalebi played an important role in the hostage crisis. Rosen told Fox News, “It’s a disgrace if the United States Government accept Aboutalebi’s visa as Iranian Ambassador to the U.N. It may be a precedent but if the President and Congress don’t condemn this act by the Islamic Republic, then our captivity wans suffering for 444 days at the hands of Iran was for nothing. He can never set foot on American soil.” Aboutalebi said on his Twitter feed that he was only a translator for the hostages and did not participate in the storming of the U.S. Embassy.