President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that Iran has released an American woman, identified as Iranian-American citizen Dena Karari, who he stated was wrongfully detained in the country for approximately 18 months. Karari was reportedly accused of espionage related to her work with a U.S. nonprofit organization.
Trump stated in a post on Truth Social that Karari was detained in December 2024, during the Biden administration, and was recently permitted to leave Iran. Her attorney, Jared Genser, confirmed her release to Fox News, stating she is now en route to the United States and in good condition.
Karari was allegedly targeted by Iranian authorities who linked her to the Children of Mehr Foundation, a U.S.-registered nonprofit that provides humanitarian assistance to impoverished children in Iran. According to her attorney, Karari was never formally imprisoned but was held under a "coercive exit ban." She reportedly underwent numerous interrogations by Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security and experienced significant physical and psychological hardship.
Trump thanked Iran for the release, describing it as a "gesture of goodwill."
"The United States of America appreciates this gesture of Goodwill by Iran!" Trump wrote on Truth Social.
This development marks the first instance of an American being freed from Iranian custody since 2023. Genser urged Iran to drop any remaining charges against others associated with the Children of Mehr Foundation and to release all unjustly imprisoned Americans and Iranian political prisoners.
Sources have indicated that Iran has a history of detaining foreign nationals on vague charges and using them as leverage. Dual citizens, particularly those with Iranian and American nationality, are often treated solely as Iranian nationals by Tehran, limiting their access to U.S. consular support. This situation comes amid ongoing military tensions between the U.S. and Iran.