President Donald Trump announced Wednesday evening that Iran has released an American citizen who had been wrongfully detained since December 2024. Trump described the move as a gesture of goodwill and stated that the woman is now safely outside of Iran and in good condition.
While the president did not identify the woman in his social media posts, lawyer Jared Genser, who is involved with high-profile cases of U.S. citizens detained in Iran, identified the released citizen as his client, Dena Karari. Karari is a dual US-Iranian citizen.
The release occurs amid renewed hostilities between Washington and Tehran and a deepening standoff over the Strait of Hormuz. Iran is currently holding several Western nationals and has been accused of using them as bargaining chips in negotiations between governments.
This event follows a separate announcement in May, when Washington stated that an Iranian citizen with US permanent residence status had been released after serving a 10-year prison sentence in Iran.