Four Freed Americans Leave Iran

Trevithick’s release was not part of the prisoner swap, but US officials did “indicate to Foreign Minister [Javad] Zarif that it’d be important for them to try to resolve some of the other cases of Americans detained in the context of this “deal”, a senior administration official told CNN”.

According to FARS, Iran freed Rezaian, Marine veteran Amir Hekmati and Christian pastor Saeed Abedini, who had been held on various charges.

“We offered clemency to seven Iranians, six of whom are dual US-Iranian citizens, who had been convicted or are pending trial in the United States”, the official added. The U.S. will also drop Interpol “red notices” – essentially arrest warrants – on a handful of Iranian fugitives it has sought. A fifth American detained in Iran, Matthew Trevithick, was released in a move unrelated to the swap, U.S. officials said. Kerry’s statement followed a determination by the International Atomic Energy Agency that Iran has complied with the deal to curb its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

One more Iranian-American released under the same swap, Nosratollah Khosravi-Roodsari, was not aboard the aircraft. At least six Iranian-Americans held by the United States were swapped in exchange for the four held by Iran, the Washington Post reported, but it was not immediately clear who they were.

Levinson’s family also welcomed the news of the releases but was distressed that their loved one was not among those freed. He is the longest-held hostage in USA history, assuming he is still alive, which many believe to be so.

“These failures to penalize Iran for its irresponsible behavior, violations of worldwide restrictions and failure to come clean on its past nuclear activities hardly inspire confidence for the strict implementation of the JCPOA”, it said.

Instead, he said, “I am pleased that our government did not sit idly by while an American citizen was persecuted overseas due to religious intolerance”.

“When Americans are freed, that’s something we can all celebrate”, US President Barak Obama said in a televised statement from the White House.

GameSpot sister site CBS News has now confirmed with USA officials that Amir Hekmati has been released as part of a prisoner exchange.

“With 19 journalists behind bars, Iran was the third worst jailer of journalists in the world in 2015”, the nonprofit group said.

The US citizens are being flown to Switzerland and will be taken to a US base in Germany for medical treatment.

Tens of billions of dollars’ worth of Iranian assets will now be unfrozen and global companies that have been barred from doing business there will be able to exploit a market hungry for everything from automobiles to airplane parts.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, in Vienna to meet U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, spoke cryptically of a possible negotiation.

It has been a dramatic day for Iran and the U.S. Iran has released five Americans it had been holding, among them was a Washington Post reporter held for more than a year.

He appeared on Iranian television and said he was working for the Central Intelligence Agency in a confession her mother and the U.S. State Department has said was forced and fabricated.

At critical points in the nuclear negotiations, Iranian authorities would make often contradictory comments about Rezaian’s status. The other person made a plea agreement. Iranian officials deny knowing where he is.

Other candidates emphasized the return of the Americans over any negative aspects.

The seven Iranians freed by the United States are Nader Modanlou, Baharam Mechanic, Khosrow Afghahi, Arash Ghahreman, Tooraj Faridi, Nima Golestaneh, and Ali Saboonchi, according to IRNA and the state broadcaster. “But once again, Bob Levinson has been left behind”.

“I woke up my kids around 7:30 and told them that daddy’s coming home, and he’s out of the prison and they were just so shocked but they were jumping up and down and excited”.