Trump Announces Release of US Citizen Detained in Iran
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Iran had agreed to release an American citizen who was “wrongfully detained” since December 2024. The announcement came as the US launched fresh strikes on Iran.
“She is now safely outside of Iran, and in good condition,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, without naming the woman. “The United States of America appreciates this gesture of Goodwill by Iran!”
Identity of Released Citizen Confirmed
The woman is Dena Karari, a dual American and Iranian citizen, her lawyer Jared Genser announced on social media. Genser said he was “excited to report” that Karari, who was banned from leaving Iran after visiting her family in 2024, “is now safe and traveling back to the United States”.
“This would not have happened but for the extraordinary and relentless efforts” of the president, he added.
Background of Detention
The New York Times reported last year that Karari, an Iranian American woman, was first imprisoned and prevented from leaving the country in December 2024, but released from custody. She “works for an American technological company and runs a charity for underprivileged children in Iran”. After the US joined Israel in bombing Iran in 2025, she was charged with espionage.
Lawyer’s Track Record
According to a 2023 Guardian profile, Genser, nicknamed “the extractor,” has freed over 340 prisoners of conscience from 20 countries over the past two decades.
