The Post had earlier reported that the flight out of Iran was delayed because Rezaian’s mother Mary and wife Yeganeh, who also were on the plane, initially did not appear on the flight manifest.
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Three Iranian-American citizens freed by Iran in a prisoner swap with the United States have left Tehran and are flying to Bern in Switzerland, reports from both capitals said Sunday.
“I don’t think we’re thanking Iran with respect to the release of these American citizens”, a senior administration official told reporters late on Saturday.
A fifth prisoner, the American student Matthew Trevithick, was released separately from the other four on Saturday. The International Atomic Energy Agency certified Saturday that Iran had complied with the initial requirements of the nuclear deal, including shipping 25,000 pounds of enriched uranium out of the country and putting thousands of centrifuges into storage. Iranian officials have argued the new sanctions would violate the letter and spirit of the nuclear deal. The U.S. also removed so-called red notices from Interpol and dismissed charges against 14 Iranians whom it believed would never be extradited. “Though we welcome all our American prisoners home, the USA must work in a coordinated fashion to vigorously enforce the terms of the nuclear deal and hold Iran accountable for their military provocations and terrorist activity that breeds instability and violence in the Middle East”. “The fact of the matter is that this tells us everything we need to know about the Iranian regime – that they take people hostage in order to gain concessions”.
The statement continued: “We are enormously grateful to all who played a role in securing his release”.
In a sign of sustained readiness to track Iranian compliance with remaining United Nations curbs, the United States imposed fresh sanctions on 11 companies and individuals for supplying Iran’s ballistic missile program.
The President extolled the virtue of diplomacy over war. particularly with regard to the sailors who “accidentally strayed” into Iranian waters, and revealed that he and his diplomats used every opportunity they had to press for the prisoners’ release during the sidelines of the nuclear talks. We are also overjoyed to hear that other Americans being held in Iran also will soon be reunited with their families.
Four Americans and seven Iranians got tickets to freedom in a prisoner swap playing out alongside the kick-start of an accord lifting heavy global sanctions on Iran in return for its agreement to pull back its nuclear program. The nuclear agreement “accelerated” the prisoner swap, Kerry said.
“We couldn’t be happier to hear the news that Jason Rezaian has been released from Evin Prison”, Frederick J. Ryan, Jr., publisher of The Washington Post, said in a statement. American officials are unsure if the former Federal Bureau of Investigation agent is even still alive. The Iranians have always denied knowing his location.
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In praising the “tireless” effort that went into the prisoner exchange, U.S. President Barack Obama said that the clemency granted to the Iranian prisoners was a “one-time gesture”. He was sentenced in 2013 to 8 years in prison. Pastor Abedini, 35, was arrested in 2012 on charges he was undermining Iran’s national security by establishing a house-church movement in the country. “Iran is ready”, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, said on Twitter of the anticipated implementation announcement.
