Jason Rezaian

United States

Global Opinion Writer at The Washington Post

Journalist @WashingtonPost since 2012. Host of “544 Days” Podcast. Co-Executive Director @CSIS Hostage Commission. 2x Fellow @harvard. Board Chair @PFC_NPC

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Articles

Will the U.S.-Iran conflict spin out of control?

5 days ago | washingtonpost.com | Damir Marusic |Jason Rezaian |Jason Willick

Will the U.S.-Iran conflict spin out of control? (washingtonpost.com) Will the U.S.-Iran conflict spin out of control? By Damir Marusic; Jason Rezaian; Jason Willick 2025062220255100 You're reading the Prompt 2025 newsletter. Sign up to get it in your inbox. One day after President Donald Trump ordered attacks on Iranian targets to thwart their nuclear program, facts are still scarce about how effective the strikes have been.
Combating State Hostage Taking and Wrongful Detention

3 weeks ago | csis.org | Jon B. Alterman |Jason Rezaian

Imposing real costs on countries that take U.S. citizens hostage may not compel them to release Americans immediately. However, if properly structured and communicated, the prospect of real (but reversible) costs can persuade countries to limit these activities and deter others from taking this route.
Is Kilmar Abrejo Garcia a State Hostage? Jason Rezaian explains

2 months ago | contrarian.substack.com | Jason Rezaian

In 2015, Jason Rezaian was unjustly arrested in Iran and detained for nearly a year and a half. Since his release, he has been advocating for other political hostages imprisoned by foreign nations. Now, he joins Jen to discuss the wrongful deportation of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia to El Salvador and what the Trump administration’s refusal to facilitate his release means. Jason Rezaian is a Senior Associate of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Don't abandon jailed journalists who worked for shuttered U.S. outlets

Mar 20, 2025 | washingtonpost.com | Jason Rezaian
Opinion | These 10 jailed journalists worked for U.S. outlets that Trump silenced - Editor and Publisher

Mar 20, 2025 | editorandpublisher.com | Jason Rezaian

Posted Thursday, March 20, 2025 5:37 pm When my Iranian jailers told me, with a straight face, that my newspaper — The Post — didn’t exist, it was easy to laugh it off.
Opinion | Oakland native and pitching legend on the A’s leaving the Town

Sep 26, 2024 | washingtonpost.com | Jason Rezaian

Democracy Dies in DarknessThe storied MLB team will play three years in a minor league facility in Sacramento after 57 years at the Oakland ColiseumSeptember 26, 2024 at 3:27 p.m. EDTThe Oakland Athletics play their final home game today, ending 57 years on the eastern shores of the San Francisco Bay. As a lifelong fan I’m saddened, sure, but there is more to it than that.
One photo captures Iranian women’s fight against tyranny - The Washington Post

Sep 17, 2024 | washingtonpost.com | Jason Rezaian

On the anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s killing, we must honor the movement that she sparked. September 17, 2024 at 7:00 a.m. EDTThis photograph might look as if it were pulled from a fashion magazine. But for people who know the history of Iran since the founding of the Islamic republic in 1979, it is astounding. Many public spaces in Iran are segregated by gender, but public transportation is perhaps the most visible example: Women are forced to use the back of the bus.
Coming Home after Being a Hostage Abroad

Aug 2, 2024 | csis.org | Jason Rezaian

This commentary was originally published in the Washington Poston August 1, 2024. I’m thrilled and relieved that Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, Alsu Kurmasheva, and my Post colleague Vladimir Kara-Murza have been released from Russian prisons. Over the years, I’ve gotten to know members of the extraordinary families of these brave individuals. This is a moment for them to rejoice and celebrate their loved ones’ safe return.
D.C. Ethiopian restaurant Elsa’s Kitchen gives diners authenticity - Washington Post

Jul 24, 2024 | washingtonpost.com | Jason Rezaian

Ethiopian cuisine is a huge part of the rich and complex dining scene in and around the nation’s capital. “I don’t know who told me about America. I don’t know where I got it, but I always said, ‘I’m going to America,’” Elsabete Yirge, chef and co-owner of Elsa Ethiopian Kitchen, told me as we dug into a spread of classic Ethiopian dishes presented in the traditional way, atop injera bread on a large communal tray.
Opinion | A McLean Szechuan restaurant is serving the dishes of customers’ dreams

Jul 17, 2024 | washingtonpost.com | Jason Rezaian

Foods with their origins in China, the first of which arrived nearly two centuries ago during the Gold Rush, are incredibly popular and prevalent in America. Eateries serving some variation of Chinese food outnumber McDonald’s, Burger King and Wendy’s shops combined. But Chinese food isn’t monolithic, even in the diaspora. It’s all about flavors and characters. And at a tiny Szechuan restaurant peeking out of the ground floor of an office building in McLean, you get large helpings of both.