Plane with freed USA prisoners lands in Geneva

The proposed budget predicts an exchange rate of $1 USA dollar to 29,970 Iranian rials.

A senior administration official earlier said “those who wished to depart Iran have left”, but did not specify whether Khosravi-Roodsari chose to stay.

“Friends and colleagues at The Washington Post are elated by the wonderful news that Jason Rezaian has been released from Evin Prison and has safely left the country with his wife, Yeganeh Salehi”, Ryan said.

Republicans running for President Barack Obama’s job celebrated news of the release of five American prisoners from Iran on Saturday, while continuing to disparage the administration that negotiated the deal.

Besides the three who arrived in Germany, Iran also released Nosratollah Khosravi under the exchange agreement. “We can lead this world and make it safer and more secure”.

Student Matthew Trevithick was also released in a move unrelated to the swap, US officials said. There were no additional details.

They will stop in Switzerland, before heading to a U.S. military facility to be checked over by medical staff, The Washington Post reports.

The Washington Post said that among those on board was its Tehran correspondent Jason Rezaian, who had been detained in Iran for almost 18 months. I am overcome with emotion that after four and a half years, this bad ordeal is ending and the Hekmati family will soon be reunited with Amir.

The Florida senator also asserted that the Iranian capture of 10 US sailors – and subsequent release – was an effort to show how powerful Iran was compared to the U.S.

His family previously said they were “profoundly grateful” for his release.

“We hope that [Rouhani] will garner some support because of the sanctions relief”, German ambassador to the U.S. Peter Wittig told reporters Friday.

Saboonchi had been convicted of unlawfully exporting goods to Iran in violation of worldwide sanctions and was serving a 2-year sentence.

The state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) named the other three men as Nader Madanloo, Arash Ghahreman and Nima Golestaneh.

“After the nuclear deal was completed, the discussions between our governments accelerated”.

The U.S. official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the developments.

“He plans to spend some time with his aunt and her family on the East Coast, reunite with his girlfriend who’s now on the West Coast, and hopefully visit his elderly parents in Iran, whom he hasn’t seen in years since this case began”, Johnson said. The nuclear agreement “accelerated” the exchange, Kerry said.

‘We released seven terrorists who had helped Iran with their nuclear program, and we agreed not to prosecute another 14 terrorists for doing the same thing.

Two congressmen were headed to Germany on Sunday to greet Rezaian and Hekmati.

Houston-based attorney Kent Schaffer said Faridi, who had remained free on bond, did nothing to jeopardize national security or violate trade sanctions. “But we remain in hopeful anticipation until Amir is in our arms”.

“Let’s celebrate and then do not forget to keep praying as Pastor Abedini recovers from the injuries he suffered in prison and transitions back to family life”.

The Post’s editors said the reporter had become a hostage to the nuclear talks, being detained at the behest of hardline opponents of President Hassan Rouhani within Iran’s regime. Baron told CNN’s Reliable Sources in a phone call from Landstuhl.

“I’ve met with some of the families”.

Robert Levinson, who disappeared in Iran in 2007 while working for the CIA on an unapproved intelligence mission, wasn’t part of the deal. Iranian officials had repeatedly denied any knowledge of his disappearance or whereabouts. “Each and every day, and especially today, our hearts are with the Levinson family and we will not rest until their family is whole again”.