Champagne flowed when released Americans finally left Iran

Though long an advocate for Hekmati’s release, Kildee had never met Hekmati until Monday.

Hekmati also posted a message of thanks to President Obama on the Twitter page of Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.) after a brief meeting with the congressman.

Jason Rezaian, a Washington Post reporter, was arrested in July 2014 on trumped-up charges.

“I want people to know that physically, I’m feeling good”, he said.

The freed American was reunited with members of his family at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, where he has been undergoing medical and psychological evaluations.

Speaking to reporters for the first time since being released from Iranian prison, former U.S. Marine Amir Hekmati credited his training for helping him withstand the “very inhumane and unjust” treatment he experienced during his captivity.

The deal between Washington and Tehran came under criticism from many Republican presidential contenders, but Hekmati said he was grateful to the president for agreeing to the swap after years of efforts to free the men.

Officials have said Hekmati was put in solitary confinement and subjected to sleep deprivation.

The Iranian government and military said Monday that the new sanctions show continued US hostility toward Iran and vowed defiantly to further develop Iran’s missile program.

They were only allowed to leave along with prisoners released in the exchange deal following pressure from U.S. officials.

The former Marine, a dual American-Iranian citizen, was arrested in late 2011 while on a trip to see his grandmothers.

“I was anxious that maybe the Iranian side was going to make new demands in the last minute or that the deal wasn’t going to work out so up until the last second, we were all anxious and concerned”, veteran Marine Amir Hekmati said on board a Swiss jet that carried the released prisoners out of Iran.

The fourth freed Iranian-American apparently chose to remain in Iran.

None of the men are reported to be suffering any acute medical conditions, Kildee and the other congressmen said Monday.

The American released separately, Mr Matthew Trevithick, returned home to MA on Sunday (Jan 17) for an emotional reunion with his family after 40 days in prison, according to The Boston Globe.

Amir Hekmati, one of the Americans freed in a prisoner swap with Iran, said he did not believe until the very last moment that he would be let go and he celebrated with champagne once the Swiss plane flying him out left Iranian air space. Khamenei did not cite any specific USA officials, but some Republican lawmakers and presidential candidates have strongly criticized the accord. Central Intelligence Agency contractor Robert Levinson was not among those released.

“But there is a lot that I have to say about the experience and what happened, and I hope to bring that to the American people and the world”.

“To actually meet him and see what sort of gentle and kind person he is”, Kildee said, “I just told him how proud I was of him, that he endured this ordeal with incredible dignity”.