Iran says it’s releasing four Iranian-American detainees in prison swap

The Obama administration has said the Americans came up in every conversation with the Iranians. Little is known about Khosravi-Roodsari.

Another official said the deal was a “one-time arrangement because it was an opportunity to bring Americans home”, adding that it shouldn’t “encourage this behavior in the future”. She is expected to fly out of the country with her husband. Kris Coratti, vice president of communications and spokeswoman for The Post, said that “while we are hopeful, we have not received any official word of Jason’s release”.

“Today is a good day for the Iranian people as sanctions will be lifted today”, the ISNA agency quoted him as saying.

The release was arranged as part of a prisoner swap involving seven Iranians held by the United States on sanctions charges, the officials confirmed.

“In line with ratifications of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and the Islamic establishment’s interests, four Iranian prisoners, who hold dual nationality, have been released within the framework of a prisoner swap”, Tehran Prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi said in a statement Saturday reported by the official Islamic Republic News Agency.

Earlier Saturday, Iranian Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif held a series of meetings with his European Union and U.S. counterparts – including U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry – on implementing the accord. Iran has announced that it has freed several US prisoners from Iranian jails.

A fifth man – described as a recently detained student named Matthew Trevithick – was separately released, USA officials said.

In seeking Rezaian’s freedom, petitions said he was suffering from untreated high blood pressure and losing weight and was subjected to regular physical abuse.

The news emerged as a landmark deal took effect Saturday relieving sanctions on Iran in return for its progress in pulling back its nuclear program.

The lawyer for Mekanik, who has been jailed since his indictment last April on charges of illegally exporting microelectronics technology to Iran, said his client was “elated” to be pardoned.

KENYON: Well, why it’s happening now, I think the claim by the Iranians is that this is a prisoner exchange and the Americans have taken some steps.

Iran has said that it never meant to build nuclear weapons and that its program is for peaceful energy and medical research purposes.

There was no official confirmation from the United States.

But that channel was kept separate from the nuclear conversations. It didn’t provide any further details. I can’t imagine what they’re going through.

“I was hoping for it, but I didn’t see it coming (so soon)”, she said.

Saturday afternoon, Kerry told reporters in Vienna that the prisoner swap was “accelerated” by the nuclear agreement.

He was convicted of spying and sentenced to death in 2012.

The US official also said that Iran has promised to help the United States determine the whereabouts of Robert Levinson, a former Federal Bureau of Investigation agent that went missing in Iran in March 2007.

Saeed Abedini, 35, an Iranian-American pastor from Idaho, was sentenced to eight years in prison in 2013 after being accused of harming Iran’s national security by setting up home-based churches in his native country.

“But in addition to the release of over $100 billion in frozen Iranian assets, assets which will likely be used to fund terrorism once they’re repatriated into Iran, the Administration has now released seven individuals who violated sanctions against Iran and agreed not to pursue 14 Iranians wanted for trafficking arms”.