Iran is releasing four detained Americans in exchange for seven Iranians held or charged in the United States, U.S. and Iranian officials said Saturday in a major diplomatic breakthrough announced as implementation of a landmark nuclear deal appeared imminent.
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Iran has released Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian and three other Iranian-American prisoners in an apparent prisoner swap with the US.
A fifth man – described as a recently detained student named Matthew Trevithick – was separately released, USA officials said.
The administration official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.
Because someone said they were getting seven back, so essentially they get 150 billion [dollars] plus seven, and we get four. But the family of one of the U.S prisoners received unofficial word from Iran that their relative was being released today, according to a person close to that family.
The release of four Americans detained by Iran won praise on Saturday from several Republicans running for president, along with condemnation of the Obama administration for its dealings with the Islamic Republic.
Those being freed Saturday included Saeed Abedini, 35, of Boise, Idaho; Amir Hekmati, 32, of Flint, Michigan; and Nosratollah Khosravi-Roodsari, U.S. and Iranian officials said.
Since Rezaian was arrested by Iranian authorities the NPC has hosted multiple press conferences with Washington Post Executive Editor Martin Baron and Ali Rezaian, promoted an online campaign collecting signatures demanding his release and held a 24-hour readathon of Rezaian’s articles.
Tehran does not recognise dual nationality, and has said the cases of Rezaian and the others were a purely Iranian matter. Hekmati is a former Marine who spent more than four years in prison on spying charges following his arrest in August 2011 during a visit to see his grandmother.
The announcement of the exchange came shortly before Iran was certified as having met all commitments under the nuclear deal with six world powers. Mystery surrounded the charges until April when his attorney said he was accused of espionage and conducting propaganda against the establishment, among other charges.
The detention of Khosravi-Roodsari had not been previously publicized.
A report by the semi-official ISNA news agency quoted a statement from the Tehran prosecutor’s office as saying the inmates were freed “within the framework of exchanging prisoners”.
A White House source also told CBN News, Iran has committed to continue cooperating with the United States to determine the whereabouts of Robert Levinson, who has been held in Iran since 2007.
Jason Rezaian, the Washington Post’s bureau chief in Tehran, was detained in July 2014 and jailed in Tehran’s Evin prison. Ryan Jr. released a statement following the news of Rezaian’s release.
For months after his arrest in 2014, there was uncertainty over what accusations Jason Rezaian was facing.
“He’s been incarcerated for nine months for a crime that he’s just accused of but did not commit”, said lawyer Joel Androphy.
On Monday, the U.S.is scheduled to announce that sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program will end.
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Ghahreman, of Staten Island, New York, was found guilty in April 2015 of a scheme to export marine navigation equipment and military electronic equipment to Iran, according to the Justice Department.
