PBS News Hour

AMNA NAWAZ: Families of Americans detained abroad are turning up the pressure on the Biden administration to bring their loved ones home.

Outside the White House today, at least 20 families gathered, calling for President Biden to meet with them and to use all tools necessary to bring those loved ones home.

This weekend, at the White House Correspondents Dinner, President Biden spoke directly to some of those families.

JOE BIDEN, President of the United States: Across government, experts are working day and night to bring our fellow Americans home.

But my commitment, my commitment is to bring them home.

AMNA NAWAZ: Among those that today's demonstration, the families of three Americans held in Iran, Siamak Namazi, Emad Shargi, and Morad Tahbaz.

Joining me here in the studio are the daughters of two of those men, Ariana and Hannah Shargi and Tara Tahbaz.

Ariana, Hannah, Tara, welcome.

Thanks for being here.

(CROSSTALK) ARIANA SHARGI, Father Imprisoned in Iran: Thank you for having us.

AMNA NAWAZ: So, Ariana, your families have been fighting for your father's release, for many others' release for five years now.

You have been speaking with officials and giving interviews.

Why turn it up a notch?

Why this demonstration outside the White House today?

ARIANA SHARGI: Well, we have been speaking out for five years, but it just -- with every day, it becomes more and more evident how crucial it is for the president and for the American government to bring our loved ones home.

We really don't know what tomorrow brings.

For example, our father, Emad Shargi, was caught in the fires, in the riots in Evin prison just a few months ago.

He very nearly died.

And so, really, whenever we can come together and really make our voices heard and perhaps have the chance to speak with President Biden, that is -- that's what we are trying to do.

AMNA NAWAZ: Hannah, when's the last time you spoke with your dad?

HANNAH SHARGI, Father Imprisoned in Iran: We spoke to our dad recently, actually.

We were lucky enough to talk to him.

But we never know what the next day will bring or when we will be able to speak to him again.

There's been a year where we haven't spoke to him or months where we haven't spoke to him.

So it really just shows the pressure that we're under, and that time really is of the essence, and we don't have a day to wait.

They have to be home as soon as possible.

AMNA NAWAZ: Tara, what about you?

When's the last time you talked to your dad?

How's he doing?

TARA TAHBAZ, Father Imprisoned in Iran: I spoke to him yesterday.

But, as Hannah said, I think you really cherish every phone call you get, because we never know when the next one will come.

And he's not doing well.

It's six years that he's there.

And we still haven't seen signs of them coming home.

And my father is now 67 years old.

He has a history of cancer.

He's been hospitalized multiple times while being incarcerated and as contracted COVID three times.

So it's -- his mental and physical health is at risk every single day he's there.

AMNA NAWAZ: Ariana, you and the other family members are urging President Biden to use every tool at his disposal.

The White House says they're working around the clock, right?

Just last week, they impose new sanctions on an Iranian intelligence group, on four senior officials.

What tool do you want them to use that you don't see them using now?

ARIANA SHARGI: So I don't think that we're in a position to know that, frankly.

But I think it's great that they have imposed sanctions.

It is a great way to deter hostage-taking in the future.

But deterrence aren't bringing our fathers home.

They really need to work on both deterring this from happening again, but then also bringing home the Americans who are currently being held.

AMNA NAWAZ: Tara, how much of a -- sort of an update do you get from officials?

Do you know about any specific negotiations or any proposed deal that's on the table to help for your father?

TARA TAHBAZ: I think everything that we know is everything that the public knows and is in the media.

And we just continuously keep being told that they're a priority, that they are working on it.

But, at the end of the day, this administration has been in place for 27 months, and we have been hearing the same thing.

And the easiest first step is for President Biden to take the time to meet with our families and to give our loved ones hope that he even took this first step for them to believe that they actually are a priority, and, furthermore, to just see the actions and not just the words.

AMNA NAWAZ: Hannah, we have reported on this before too.

The family of Evan Gershkovich, right, The Wall Street Journal reporter who has been detained in Russia since late March, his family received a call from President Biden.

They met with him.

I know you and the others have been asking for a similar meeting.

What is your understanding of why that hasn't happened yet?

Have they given you a reason?

HANNAH SHARGI: I honestly don't understand why the president hasn't called us, why he won't speak with us.

I'm glad that he called Evan's family, as he should, but he should give us the same opportunity.

I mean, Siamak Namazi a few weeks ago put his life at risk calling from a phone in Evin to a news reporter here begging for President Biden to speak to our families.

And, still, he has not.

And I don't understand why.

I mean, we're three daughters begging for our president to talk to us, to bring our dads home.

And I'd like to see that happen.

I'd like the chance to speak with him.

AMNA NAWAZ: Tara, what would you say to that?

TARA TAHBAZ: I would equally agree with her.

We have no idea.

Why we have asked countless times.

And I was actually with Neda Shargi when we had a fortuitous moment where, 44 days ago, we happened to cross paths with him, enough time just for her to hand him a letter directly asking him to meet with us.

So, in the past, we didn't know.

Maybe the messages weren't getting to him.

Maybe he didn't hear Siamak's interview.

But now we knew that he directly knows from our families that we're asking for this meeting.

And 44 days have gone by and we are still sitting here wondering why.

What will it take for him to give us time to meet with us, hear our stories, hear how scared we are, and how much their lives are at risk every day that they are there?

AMNA NAWAZ: You have got no update, no word as to whether or not the president read the letter that your aunt, Neda Shargi, handed to him?

Is that right?

TARA TAHBAZ: No updates since then.

AMNA NAWAZ: So, does it feel to you, Ariana -- because we know there are a number of Americans detained in a number of countries overseas, does it feel to you in any way as if those who are detained in Iran are being seen differently for some reason by this administration?

We obviously know it's an incredibly complicated political situation, given the ongoing nuclear talks.

Do you feel like your families are being treated differently in some way?

ARIANA SHARGI: I don't know if we're being treated differently, but what I will say is that the administration has been able to get individuals who are being held hostage out of Russia, as Russia is currently in a war.

I cannot see a situation more complicated than that one.

So I don't understand how our situations aren't any more complicated than that.

AMNA NAWAZ: Hannah, as you know, the White House will say, a meeting doesn't matter that much.

We have heard before Secretary Blinken says he carries a card in his pocket with all the names of detained Americans abroad listed on it, that they are working around the clock, regardless of whether they have time for a call or a meeting.

So help us understand why you think a face-to-face meeting is so important.

HANNAH SHARGI: Yes.

I mean, I know the president is an empathetic man.

I know, more than anyone, he believes that a family has to be whole.

And I want to tell him that we need our family to be whole again .I want to sit down and tell him how scared we are, tell him about our family, about our dad, and how much we need him.

And all the sentiments are nice that it's a priority.

They carry the card.

I appreciate it.

But we need action.

And I need to be able to say that sitting face-to-face with our president.

We need action.

AMNA NAWAZ: Tara, given how complicated it is -- and we have heard even the White House's lead hostage negotiator, Roger Carstens, say that this is very complicated.

Iran is very difficult to deal with.

Do you think of a face-to-face meeting would help shake something loose for some reason?

TARA TAHBAZ: I do think so, because, as Hannah said, I think that President Biden is a man of compassion and empathy.

And I think meeting with us and hearing our stories firsthand, he has the opportunity to see the faces of families that are suffering.

And he, more than anybody, knows the pain when you lose a member of your family or the time that's robbed from you.

And I think seeing our father's name and Siamak's name on a piece of paper and then being able to connect it back to our faces, it makes it such a more real situation, versus just a name.

And we have heard firsthand yesterday on CNN from Trevor Reed's father and Cherelle Griner how much it meant to them when they met with President Biden and how much it gave hope to their loved ones that were in prison.

And we saw their loved ones come home very shortly after that.

AMNA NAWAZ: Well, we thank all three of you for being here with us today.

We're thinking about your fathers and your families.

And thank you for being here.

HANNAH SHARGI: Thank you for having us.

ARIANA SHARGI: Thank you for having us.

AMNA NAWAZ: Ariana Shargi, Hannah Shargi, and Tara Tahbaz, thank you.

(CROSSTALK) TARA TAHBAZ: Thank you so much.