Plane carrying Americans in Iran prisoner swap has taken off

Several Iranian-Americans held in USA prisons after being charged or convicted for sanctions violations have been released, their lawyers told Reuters on Sunday, as part of a deal between Iran and the United States that also won the release of four Americans imprisoned in Iran.

Hekmati, along with Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian, pastor Saeed Abedini and Nosratollah Khosravi, whose name had not been previously made public, were flown from Iran to Switzerland aboard a Swiss aircraft.

Rezaian and the other former prisoners are expected to travel to Switzerland, and then to a US military hospital in Landstuhl, Germany.

Trevithick’s release was not part of the prisoner swap, but USA 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”.

Iran had announced their release on Saturday, just hours before Tehran’s historic nuclear deal with world powers was implemented, in exchange for Washington pardoning seven Iranians accused of sanctions-busting or violating trade embargoes.

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.

“We’re all really anxious to see photos”, the employee said.

Rezaian, 39, was jailed on charges, including espionage, last November. “I trust that our government has tried very hard”, she said.

“Jason was in good spirits”, his editors said in a memo to newsroom staff following brief telephone conversations with Rezaian.

Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian who was held in captivity since 2012.

“As of our latest information, the plane has not departed Iran”, the official said.

Tehran does not recognise dual nationality, and has said the cases of Rezaian and the others were a purely Iranian matter.

John Kirby, a State Department spokesman, said earlier this month: “As‎ we have said repeatedly, we believe that our citizens should be returned to the United States to be with their families as soon as they possibly can”.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani praised the new engagement with the United States, saying his country “has opened a new chapter” in its ties with the world, the BBC reported.

In addition, the USA will drop Interpol “red notices” – essentially arrest warrants – on 14 Iranian fugitives it has sought, the officials said. Some U.S. officials told ABC News Saturday that Levinson being left out of the highly-publicized prisoner release raises fears that he may not still be alive.

Levinson disappeared from the Iranian resort of Kish Island more than 8 years ago while working as a consultant for the C.I.A. He is the longest-held american hostage. The Iranians have always denied knowing his location. He’s American. He was a researcher based in Turkey, and his family says he went to Iran last September for language training. “Today is an incredible day for all of us”. Rubio said that the deal shows “weakness” on the part of Washington, and if he were elected president, Iran would not dare to detain Americans because it would face tough consequences.