Prisoner swap goes ahead after Iran sanctions lift

Modanlo, a US citizen born in Iran and living in Potomac, was sentenced in 2013 to eight years in prison for conspiring to illegally provide satellite-related services to Iran, in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the Iran trade embargo. US and Iranian officials are calling this a major diplomatic breakthrough, and say a landmark nuclear deal appears imminent.

The negotiated exchange eases one leading irritant as the two countries gingerly explore prospects for a smoother relationship after decades of hostility – even as they remain sharply at odds on other fronts.

A fifth prisoner identified as a student from Hingham, Mass. was also released independent of the prisoner swap and had already left Iran.

As part of the deal to release the Americans, Obama agreed to pardon or commute the sentences of seven Iranians held by the United States.

Three were serving prison terms and now have received a commutation or pardon. Others were awaiting trial.

Iran has never acknowledged detaining Levinson and some USA intelligence officials think he may be dead. In Iraq, Tehran has found itself on the same side as the United States, supporting a Shi’ite-led government against the Sunni militants of Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL.

Officials who were tracking Levinson’s whereabouts told the Post he met with Dawud Salahuddin, a fugitive who was wanted in the murder of an Iranian dissident who was murdered in his Maryland house.

“It is hard to put into words what our family feels right now”. There is hope “that having Amir back gives him some strength”.

Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Michigan, said Hekmati’s father had fallen ill in the more than four years that his son has been detained.

The UN nuclear watchdog announced late Saturday that Iran had complied with its side of the July 2015 accord, allowing the lifting of sanctions.

Namazi immigrated to the U.S.in 1983 and returned to Iran after graduating college to serve in Iran’s military.

Marco Rubio slammed President Obama over the prisoner swap with Iran.

Government officials did not specifically state which three Americans were onboard a plane headed to Geneva before they would leave for Germany, CNN reports. “That’s 21 terrorists helping Iran develop nuclear weapons that they intend to use to try to murder us”, Cruz said.

The Post statement said the paper was “enormously grateful to all who played a role” in securing Rezaian’s release, and the paper thanked those “around the world who have spoken out on Jason’s behalf and against the harsh confinement that was so wrongly imposed upon him”. “Once we receive more details and can confirm Jason has safely left Iran, we will have more to share”.

The Post itself reported: “Rezaian and the other Americans were flown out of Tehran on Sunday, after an unexplained delay”. “There are still many unknowns. But I’ve not been formally informed if he is free now”, he said, adding that negotiations for the prisoners’ release has been going on for the past two months.

Six of the seven are dual citizens.

The attorney told KPRC that his client eventually plans to return to Iran.

Did the nuclear deal play a role? Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders praised diplomacy as the key to solving the detainee issue.

Besides the three who arrived in Germany, Iran also released Nosratollah Khosravi under the exchange agreement.

Bahram Mechanich and Tooraj Faridi, both of Houston, and Khosrow Afghahi, of Los Angeles, were released, along with four other Iranians held in other parts of the U.S., Mechanich’s attorney Joel Androphy said.