President Donald Trump announced Wednesday evening that Iran has freed a U.S. citizen who has been trapped there since December 2024, crediting the release to diplomatic pressure and describing it as a positive sign from Tehran.
The woman, identified by her attorney as Dena Karari, was not physically detained but faced severe restrictions on leaving the country. Jared Genser, a human rights lawyer representing Karari, said she had been "subject to a coercive exit ban" and subjected to repeated interrogations by Iran's Intelligence Ministry.
Karari's legal troubles stemmed from her work with the Children of Mehr Foundation, a nonprofit that provided assistance to disadvantaged children in Iran using private donations and authorized by the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control. She was interrogated dozens of times over that work, according to Genser's statement.
Trump posted on Truth Social that Iran had "allowed an American Citizen, who was wrongfully detained in December of 2024 under the 'presidency' of Sleepy Joe Biden, to leave the Country." He stated that Karari was "now safely outside of Iran, and in good condition" and characterized the move as a "gesture of Goodwill by Iran."
The timing of the release comes as Trump has intensified pressure on Iran through military action, authorizing multiple rounds of U.S. strikes in recent days. Genser credited "the extraordinary and relentless efforts of President Trump" for securing Karari's freedom and confirmed she is traveling back to the United States.
The case of Karari is one among several involving American citizens held or restricted in Iran. As many as five other Americans remain in Iranian custody, including Reza Valizadeh and Kamran Hekmati, both of whom the State Department has formally designated as wrongfully detained. Genser called on Iran to drop charges against Iranian nationals who worked locally for the Children of Mehr Foundation alongside Karari.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "This release looks good on paper, but Karari spent over a year trapped in Iran facing relentless interrogations for humanitarian work, which tells you something dark about what passes for 'goodwill' in Tehran."
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