Trump says Iran frees US citizen detained since 2024

Washington (ANTARA) - US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday (15 July) that Iran had allowed an American citizen, detained since December 2024, to leave the country.

“He is now safely outside Iran and in good condition. The United States appreciates the goodwill shown by Iran!” Trump wrote on the social media platform Truth Social.

The US citizen, later identified as Dena Karari, had been trapped in Iran since December 2024 on unsubstantiated charges. According to her lawyer, Jared Genser, she is now safe and on her way back to the United States.

Trump’s announcement came amid rising tensions between the United States and Iran in recent days.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on the social media platform X that, on Wednesday evening local time, the United States launched a second wave of attacks against Iran, targeting Iranian military capabilities used to threaten vessels transiting freely through the Strait of Hormuz.

Earlier on Wednesday, the command said it had deployed precision munitions against a coastal defence system as well as cruise missile storage and launch sites on Greater Tunb Island.

Iran’s Ministry of Health reported on Wednesday that the latest US attacks on several provinces in southern Iran had killed 35 people and wounded more than 300 others.