274:
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position at the U.S. Naval
Academy. In making his decision, Limbert cited frustration with the lack of diplomatic progress made with Iran: "The Obama administration has been in office now for over a year and a half, and I think everyone thought we would be in a better place with Iran. Not necessarily that we would be friends, but that we would at least be talking to each other on a regular and civil basis."
336:: "I admit that I called it wrong really from the beginning and in the direction that it went. The direction that it went – this rather harsh and brutal and intolerant direction that it went – certainly surprised me. I didn't expect it. Nor did I expect that we and the Iranians would remain estranged for as long as we have."
319:
In
November 2009, Limbert was appointed the first-ever U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Iran. In accepting the appointment, Limbert took a sabbatical from the U.S. Naval Academy. After just nine months on the job, Limbert resigned from his position in July 2010 to return to his teaching
328:
In 1979, Limbert was a newly appointed
Foreign Service officer posted to the U.S. Embassy in Tehran when it was overrun by Iranian students. He had arrived as a diplomat only 12 weeks before the embassy's capture. Along with 52 other Americans, he would be held captive for more than a year. Asked
312:(1981–84), Senior Fellow at Harvard University's Center for International Affairs (1991–92), Dean of the Foreign Service Institute's School of Language Studies, and an appointment as the Distinguished Professor of International Affairs in the departments of political science and
329:
about how his experience as a hostage in Iran changed him, Limbert said, "I think I got a new appreciation for our own profession – that is, the profession of diplomacy. And the idea of how do you solve problems between nations and between people?"
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in 1973. His overseas postings included
Algeria, Djibouti, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. From 2000–2003, he was Ambassador to the
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in April 2003 with the
Organization of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance. Among his earlier positions, he served as Deputy Coordinator for
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636:"The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training Foreign Affairs Oral History Project AMBASSADOR JOHN WILLIAM LIMBERT"
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Limbert's wife, Parvaneh, is a naturalized
American citizen of Iranian descent, and since 1980 she has been a resident of
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in the State
Department (2000). Limbert retired from the Foreign Service with the rank of
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In 1962, Limbert first traveled to Iran while his parents were working there for
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289:. While still Ambassador, he was one of the first civilian officials to enter
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435:"John W. Limbert - People - Department History - Office of the Historian"
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530:"Former U.S. diplomat, hostage in Tehran takes up Iran post at State"
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464:"Former Embassy Hostage Says He Was 'Wrong' About Iran's Revolution"
304:
In academic field, Limbert's positions have included: professor of
272:
257:. They have a daughter, Mandana, who is an associate professor of
231:
220:
555:"Parents Kept Secret Iranian Descent of Their Hostage Son's Wife"
360:
Shiraz in the Age of Hafez: The Glory of a
Medieval Persian City
176:
713:
397:
The
Origins and Appearance of the Kurds in Pre-Islamic Iran,
211:, where he graduated from public school. He received his
362:. Seattle, Wash.: University of Washington Press. 2004.
332:
Limbert also remarked that he was wrong about the 1979
246:(1969–72, later renamed Shiraz University). He speaks
227:. His Ph.D. was in History and Middle Eastern Studies.
379:
Negotiating with Iran: Wrestling the Ghosts of
History
171:(born 1943) is an American diplomat. He is the former
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volunteer (1964–66) and as an English instructor at
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502:. National Iranian American Council. Archived from
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672:"Diplomat: 'Ghosts In The Room' Plague U.S., Iran"
382:. United States Institute of Peace Press. 2009.
643:Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training
1446:Ambassadors of the United States to Mauritania
725:
277:Limbert pictured before his captivity in Iran
191:and a former official at the U.S. Embassy in
8:
399:Iranian Studies, Vol. 1, No. 2, Spring 1968.
1416:Category:Foreign nationals detained in Iran
61:November 21, 2000 – August 8, 2003
1116:
1026:
946:
753:
741:List of foreign nationals detained in Iran
732:
718:
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316:at the U.S. Naval Academy in August 2006.
29:
18:
1486:United States Foreign Service personnel
500:"John Limbert – NIAC Board of Advisors"
458:
456:
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426:
195:, where he was held captive during the
606:"Parvaneh Limbert – Gallery Clarendon"
493:
491:
489:
487:
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7:
1481:Academic staff of Shiraz University
173:Deputy Assistant Secretary of State
1496:Foreign nationals detained in Iran
14:
652:from the original on 27 June 2024
1411:
1410:
238:, Limbert returned to Iran as a
528:Laura Rozen (7 November 2009).
287:Islamic Republic of Mauritania
281:Ambassador Limbert joined the
269:Diplomatic and academic career
185:Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs
1:
1491:Writers from Washington, D.C.
1456:American people taken hostage
797:Nosratollah Khosravi-Roodsari
581:"Anthopology Faculty Listing"
498:NIAC Staff (8 October 2010).
35:In a press conference in 2010
16:American diplomat (born 1943)
1451:American expatriates in Iran
928:Afshin Sheikholeslami Vatani
46:United States Ambassador to
263:City University of New York
116:1943 (age 80–81)
1512:
1441:1970s missing person cases
967:Abdolrasoul Dorri-Esfahani
1466:Harvard University alumni
1407:
1082:Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe
1072:Roya Saberi Negad Nobakht
346:Iran: At War with History
162:
99:
54:
40:
28:
348:(Westview Press, 1987).
1461:Formerly missing people
792:Moorhead C. Kennedy Jr.
187:. He is a veteran U.S.
278:
1308:Olivier Vandecasteele
276:
234:. Before joining the
972:Hamid Ghassemi-Shall
255:Stockbridge, Vermont
236:U.S. Foreign Service
207:Limbert was born in
1471:Iran hostage crisis
1272:Kylie Moore-Gilbert
410:List of kidnappings
197:Iran hostage crisis
136:Mandana and Shervin
128:Parvaneh TabibZadeh
1047:Iason Athanasiadis
992:Kavous Seyed-Emami
962:Hossein Derakhshan
892:Matthew Trevithick
579:Mandana, Limbert.
334:Islamic Revolution
310:U.S. Naval Academy
299:Minister-Counselor
279:
244:Pahlavi University
225:Harvard University
147:Harvard University
1423:
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1382:Bridget Thackwray
1201:Ahmad Reza Jalali
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987:Ramin Jahanbegloo
936:
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887:Victor L. Tomseth
616:on 11 August 2019
610:Gallery Clarendon
470:. 6 February 2009
468:Radio Free Europe
439:history.state.gov
415:US-Iran relations
306:political science
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83:Timberlake Foster
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295:Counterterrorism
209:Washington, D.C.
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104:Personal details
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645:. 30 May 2006.
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1224:Helmut Hofer
1169:Ruhollah Zam
1138:Nazak Afshar
1126:Louis Arnaud
1057:Abbas Edalat
1052:Roger Cooper
982:Zahra Kazemi
977:Homa Hoodfar
877:Morad Tahbaz
872:Sarah Shourd
842:David Rabhan
812:John Limbert
811:
787:Amir Hekmati
680:. Retrieved
675:
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614:the original
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504:the original
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327:
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280:
259:anthropology
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89:Succeeded by
72:Bill Clinton
67:Appointed by
56:
23:John Limbert
1436:1943 births
1399:Yulia Yuzik
1372:New Zealand
1362:Nizar Zakka
1344:Ana Diamond
1318:Netherlands
1262:Mark Firkin
1191:Habib Chaab
867:Emad Shargi
862:Ali Shakeri
852:Barry Rosen
817:Esha Momeni
769:Shane Bauer
701:Appearances
539:13 November
474:14 November
240:Peace Corps
79:Preceded by
1430:Categories
1267:Jolie King
1098:Aras Amiri
902:Xiyue Wang
832:Jon Pattis
510:20 January
444:2019-09-10
421:References
250:fluently.
179:in the US
153:Occupation
142:Alma mater
48:Mauritania
1254:Australia
1229:Jens Koch
1162:Residents
1091:Residents
1001:Residents
916:Residents
620:11 August
590:11 August
564:11 August
223:all from
203:Biography
57:In office
1120:Citizens
1030:Citizens
950:Citizens
757:Citizens
647:Archived
534:Politico
404:See also
189:diplomat
157:Diplomat
133:Children
1391:Russian
1354:Lebanon
1336:Finland
1300:Belgium
1282:Austria
1211:Germany
682:7 April
656:25 July
314:history
308:at the
291:Baghdad
261:at the
248:Persian
1183:Sweden
1112:France
942:Canada
705:C-SPAN
386:
366:
352:
219:, and
193:Tehran
125:Spouse
650:(PDF)
639:(PDF)
340:Books
232:USAID
221:Ph.D.
684:2011
658:2024
622:2019
592:2019
585:CUNY
566:2019
541:2009
512:2011
476:2009
384:ISBN
364:ISBN
350:ISBN
324:Iran
217:M.A.
213:B.A.
177:Iran
175:for
109:Born
703:on
676:NPR
183:'s
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674:.
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520:^
484:^
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733:e
726:t
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