Iran Frees American Woman After Year and a Half of Detention, Trump Confirms

President Donald Trump announced that Iran has released an American woman, Dena Karari, who was reportedly held in the country for espionage charges linked to her work with a nonprofit organization. Trump described her detention as ‘wrongful’ and said she was taken into custody during the Biden administration in December 2024.

Jared Genser, Karari’s attorney, confirmed her release to Fox News and noted that she is now in good health and outside Iran. Her release is significant, occurring amid escalating military tensions between the U.S. and Iran.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump expressed thanks to Iran for the ‘gesture of goodwill.’ This is the first instance of an American being freed from Iranian custody since 2023.

‘The United States of America appreciates this gesture of goodwill by Iran!’ Trump stated on the platform.

Karari was detained after Iranian authorities linked her to the Children of Mehr Foundation, a U.S.-registered nonprofit that provides educational and humanitarian support to impoverished children in Iran. Genser argued that her connection to the foundation led Iranian authorities to see her as collaborating with a hostile state, resulting in espionage charges.

Genser noted that Karari was not formally imprisoned but subjected to a ‘coercive exit ban,’ facing numerous interrogations by Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security. Following her release, Genser called on Iran to end the charges against others associated with the foundation.

‘We urge Iran to drop all the remaining charges against those who worked locally in support of the Children of Mehr Foundation,’ Genser said. ‘And I personally call on Iran to release all wrongly imprisoned Americans and those subjected to coercive exit bans and all Iranian political prisoners.’

Reports suggest that Iran may be holding more than eight American citizens, exceeding public estimates of five hostages. Notably, Kamran Hekmati and Reza Valizadeh are among those reportedly detained.

A U.S. State Department official emphasized Trump’s efforts to secure the release of detained Americans globally and highlighted Iran’s history of using foreign detainees as leverage.

Organizations such as United Against Nuclear Iran state that Tehran often detains individuals on vague charges, viewing dual citizens solely as Iranian nationals without access to U.S. consular aid.

During a major prisoner exchange in September 2023, five Americans were released in exchange for $6 billion in frozen funds. The ongoing issue of dual nationality further complicates the situation, with Iran targeting dual citizens for political purposes.