Iran Frees Dual Iranian‑American Citizen Dena Karari Amid Ongoing Detentions

Iran has released dual Iranian‑American citizen Dena Karari, who had been charged with espionage and barred from leaving the country for over a year pending trial, according to President Trump and her lawyer. Ms. Karari, a 53‑year‑old California resident, had her passport seized in December 2024 while visiting relatives in Shiraz. Though not detained, she was interrogated repeatedly by Iranian authorities, her lawyer Jared Genser said. She departed Iran for the United States on Wednesday, Genser reported.

“Dena is now free and out of Iran and on her way back to the United States,” Genser said. “This would not have happened but for the extraordinary and relentless efforts of President Trump.”

President Trump announced the release in a social‑media post, praising Iran’s “goodwill” gesture as the war with the United States enters its fifth month. “She is now safely outside of Iran, and in good condition,” he wrote. “The United States of America appreciates this gesture of goodwill by Iran!”

Ms. Karari’s case reflects Iran’s practice of using dual nationals as political leverage. She was never imprisoned but faced repeated interrogations by the Ministry of Intelligence on charges of collaborating with a hostile state, according to Genser. The scrutiny intensified after the June 2025 conflict between Iran, Israel, and the United States. Espionage in Iran can carry decades in prison or the death penalty.

It remains unclear whether her release involved a reciprocal agreement or prisoner swap. In 2023, the Biden administration negotiated the release of five American detainees in Iran through a hostage exchange and the unfreezing of $6 billion in Iranian assets. The current U.S. peace talks, led by special envoy Steve Witkoff, have not confirmed whether her case was raised; the envoy’s office and Iranian UN representatives did not respond to requests for comment.

At least three other American citizens remain detained in Iran, according to families, lawyers, and Hostage Aid Worldwide. They include Kamran Hekmati, a 70‑year‑old Jewish Iranian‑American jeweler sentenced to two years for traveling to Israel to attend his son’s bar mitzvah; Reza Valizadeh, a journalist serving a 10‑year term for alleged collaboration with a hostile government; and an unidentified Californian woman held in Evin prison.

The State Department has historically refrained from commenting on individual cases for security and privacy reasons. Advocacy groups say the release is a hopeful sign. “There are other Americans still detained in Iran, including Kamran Hekmati and Reza Valizadeh, but I believe today’s news is a positive sign that President Trump knows about them all and will fulfill his promise to bring them home,” said Neda Sharghi of The Foley Foundation.

Ms. Karari’s friends and family expressed relief. After two years of lobbying and the destabilization caused by the February war, her nonprofit work with the Children of Mehr Foundation and her role at Palo Alto Networks were highlighted. “I am overwhelmed with relief and gratitude… seeing her finally reach safety is an incredibly emotional moment,” said Dr. Mehrdad Mobasher, a close friend leading the release effort.

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