Daniel Levinson writes in the Washington Post:
American and European companies are drafting plans to begin doing business in Iran with the lifting of sanctions as part of this summer’s nuclear-weapons agreement, and Westerners are planning visits to the country. My family and I cannot emphasize enough how dangerous traveling to Iran remains.
It is widely known that my father, Robert Levinson, was detained on Iran’s Kish Island on March 9, 2007. Iranian state media even reported as much at the time, though Tehran now denies knowledge of his whereabouts. Iran is holding four other U.S. citizens, including Post reporter Jason Rezaian. It temporarily detained 15 members of the British navy two weeks after my father’s detention and several U.S. and European citizens in the years since. Any foreign national considering a trip to Iranian-controlled territory risks arbitrary detention, potentially without access to any basic human rights or their loved ones for years to come. This is what happened to my father.
No sane person thinks that Iran is safe for westerners. Americans and Europeans and company deal with Iran and visit Iran to pursue their own interests. They calculate and they decide it is worth the risk. The interests of Westerners and the interests of the Iranian regime have major conflicts. Russia and China are not safe. Jews are not safe and gentiles are not safe. Blacks are not safe. Muslims are not safe. Every group is in conflict with other groups for scarce resources. Much of the time, life is kill or be killed. When Jews rise in the West, for instance, other groups are disadvantaged and they strike back. When Jews are oppressed, Jews strike back.
