Trump Announces Release of American Citizen Detained in Iran
President Donald Trump said Iran has released an American citizen detained since December 2024, describing the move as a gesture of goodwill despite ongoing military confrontation between Washington and Tehran.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that an American citizen detained in Iran since December 2024 has been released and is now safely outside the country, describing the move as a gesture of goodwill from Tehran despite the continued escalation between the two countries.
In a post published on his Truth Social platform on Thursday, Trump confirmed that the American citizen had left Iran and was in good condition.
"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 United States of America appreciates this gesture of Goodwill by Iran!" Trump wrote.
The announcement comes as military tensions between Washington and Tehran continue to intensify.
Earlier this week, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) launched multiple waves of airstrikes targeting Iranian military infrastructure, saying the operations were aimed at degrading capabilities used to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
The latest operation included a 90-minute round of precision strikes targeting coastal defense systems and cruise missile storage and launch sites on Greater Tunb Island. CENTCOM said the strikes further reduced Iran's ability to attack commercial vessels transiting the strategic waterway.
The military campaign followed an earlier seven-hour operation targeting dozens of Iranian military sites after the collapse of a memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran. The agreement had previously enabled the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping before renewed hostilities prompted Iran to close the waterway again.
The confrontation has since widened across the region. Iranian forces launched retaliatory attacks against US military facilities in Jordan, Kuwait, and Bahrain while maintaining that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until what Tehran describes as US aggression comes to an end.
US President Donald Trump has also warned that Washington could significantly expand its military campaign unless Iran returns to negotiations, including potential strikes on additional infrastructure.
Despite the ongoing military confrontation, Trump's announcement marked a rare diplomatic development, with the release of the American detainee representing one of the few publicly acknowledged gestures between the two sides during the current crisis.