Trevor Reed’s release from Russian detention has offered renewed hope to the families of US citizens held in Iran, who on Wednesday joined forces to urge President Joe Biden to get personally involved in bringing their loved ones home.

Gathered outside the White House on Wednesday afternoon were the relatives of roughly a dozen Americans who are wrongfully detained or held hostage by foreign governments such as Iran, Russia and Venezuela.  

The Foley Foundation, a hostage advocacy group named for slain journalist James Foley, estimates there are at least 60 US citizens who meet this description. Four of them — Siamak Namazi, Baquer Namazi, Emad Shargi and Morad Tahbaz — are held by Iran on spying charges that monitoring groups say are bogus. A US legal permanent resident, Shahab Dalili, is also detained in Iran on trumped-up charges.

The families hope to build on the momentum of last week’s prisoner swap between the United States and Moscow. The surprise deal saw Reed, a former US Marine detained for three years, return home in exchange for the release of a convicted Russian drug smuggler.