Trita Parsi, head of the National Iranian American Council and a friend of Siamak Namazi, said he doesn’t think the detentions are deterring foreign business investment: “That’s not one of the things keeping Barclays [bank] up at night.” Parsi said uncertainty about the U.S. presidential election and concern that an incoming administration could reimpose nuclear sanctions are bigger brakes. International banks have been fined billions of dollars by the United States for breaching sanctions.