John W. Limbert (born 1943) is an American diplomat. He is the former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Iran in the US State Department's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs. He is a veteran U.S. diplomat and a former official at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, where he was held captive during the Iran hostage crisis. He is a board member of the National Iranian American Council (NIAC). Biography Limbert was born in Washington, D.C., where he graduated from public school. He received his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. all from Harvard University. His Ph.D. was in History and Middle Eastern Studies. In 1962, Limbert first traveled to Iran while his parents were working there for USAID. Before joining the U.S. Foreign Service, Limbert returned to Iran as a Peace Corps volunteer (1964–66) and as an English instructor at Pahlavi University (1969–72, later renamed Shiraz University). He speaks Persian fluently. Limbert's wife, Parvaneh, is a naturalized American citizen of Iranian descent, and since 1980 she has been a resident of Stockbridge, Vermont. They have a daughter, Mandana, who is an associate professor of anthropology at the City University of New York, and a son named Shervin. Mrs. Limbert is a painter and has had her work featured in art galleries. Diplomatic and academic career Ambassador Limbert joined the Foreign Service in 1973. His overseas postings included Algeria, Djibouti, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. From 2000–2003, he was Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. While still Ambassador, he was one of the first civilian officials to enter Baghdad in April 2003 with the Organization of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance. Among his earlier positions, he served as Deputy Coordinator for Counterterrorism in the State Department (2000). Limbert retired from the Foreign Service with the rank of Minister-Counselor. In academic field, Limbert's positions have included: professor of political science at the U.S. Naval Academy (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 history at the U.S. Naval Academy in August 2006. 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