Trump announces release of U.S. citizen held in Iran since 2024

A U.S. citizen who has been held in Iran since 2024 has been released, President Donald Trump and her lawyer separately announced Wednesday evening.

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“Iran has allowed an American Citizen, who was wrongfully detained in December of 2024 under the ‘presidency’ of Sleepy Joe Biden, to leave the Country. She is now safely outside of Iran, and in good condition. The United States of America appreciates this gesture of Goodwill by Iran!” Trump wrote on Truth Social, without naming the person.

Trump, who described the release as a “gesture of Goodwill by Iran!” has ramped up pressure on Iran in recent days and signed off on several new rounds of U.S. strikes.

Jared Genser, a human rights lawyer who has been involved with other high-profile cases of U.S. citizens detained in Iran, named the released citizen as Dena Karari, one of his clients.

“I am delighted and excited to report that my client U.S. citizen #DenaKarari, who had been trapped in #Iran since December 2024 on bogus charges is now free,” Genser said on X. “This would not have happened but for the extraordinary and relentless efforts of President @realDonaldTrump. Dena is now safe and traveling back to the United States.”

Genser said in a news release providing additional details that Karari had been “subject to a coercive exit ban” but “never physically detained.” She was “interrogated dozens of times” by Iran’s Intelligence Ministry because of her work with a nonprofit organization called the Children of Mehr Foundation, Genser said.

The foundation “helped impoverished children in Iran with private donor support and authorization of an OFAC license,” Genser said in the release, referring to the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.

He also urged Iran to drop charges against Iranians who worked locally for the foundation.

As many as five other Americans are currently being held in Iran, including Reza Valizadeh and Kamran Hekmati who have both been publicly designated as wrongfully detained by the State Department.