On Wednesday evening, President Donald Trump announced via a Truth Social post that Iran has allowed an American citizen, identified as Dena Karari, to leave the country.
“Iran has allowed an American Citizen, who was wrongfully detained in December of 2024 under the ‘presidency’ of Sleepy Joe Biden, to leave the Country. She is now safely outside of Iran, and in good condition,” the president wrote. “The United States of America appreciates this gesture of Goodwill by Iran,” he added.
Karari, a U.S. citizen, had been detained in Iran since December 2024. Her lawyer, Jared Genser, has described the charges in the case as bogus and politically motivated on the part of the Iranian regime.
She was held for roughly 19 months before her release. Public details about the specific circumstances of her detention, including the exact location or events leading to her capture, remain limited based on available reports.
No additional biographical information, such as her profession or reasons for being in Iran at the time, has been widely disclosed in connection with the release.
“I am delighted and excited to report that my client US citizen Dena Karari, who had been trapped in Iran since December 2024 on bogus charges is now free. This would not have happened but for the extraordinary and relentless efforts of President Donald Trump,” Genser said in a statement. “Dena is now safe and traveling back to the United States.”
Earlier in the year, the State Department indicated that U.S. negotiators planned to request the release of Americans detained in Iran as part of broader discussions. At that time, it was estimated that at least six U.S. citizens were held in Iranian custody. The current release of Dena Karari represents one such case.
The release was characterized by President Trump as a gesture of goodwill from Iran following several days of renewed hostility. On Monday, President Trump stated that a U.S. naval blockade on the Strait of Hormuz would be reinstated, applying only to Iranian ships or customers while allowing fair and open use by other countries.
He described the United States as the “Guardian of the Hormuz Strait” and vowed that continued military action would be authorized to counter any Iranian aggression in the strait.
