Trump says Iran frees US citizen trapped for 18 months, blames Biden-era ‘wrongful detention’

President Donald Trump announced that a US citizen who had been trapped in Iran for over a year and a half has finally been allowed to leave the country.

The individual, later identified by human rights attorney Jared Genser as Dena Karari, had been subjected to a coercive exit ban and espionage allegations since December 2024. Taking to social media, President Trump directly tied the timing of her initial ordeal to the previous administration.

"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," Trump posted on Truth Social. "She is now safely outside of Iran, and in good condition. The United States of America appreciates this gesture of Goodwill by Iran!"

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Details of the release

Karari, a dual US-Iranian citizen, runs the Children of Mehr Foundation, an OFAC-licensed non-profit organisation focused on helping impoverished children inside Iran. Her legal team stated that she had been barred from exiting the country following a family visit in late 2024, facing what they described as "bogus charges" and dozens of interrogations by local authorities. While she was not physically held in a prison cell, the strict exit ban kept her trapped in the country under immense physical and psychological strain.

Genser expressed immense relief regarding his client's safety and offered strong praise for the current administration’s diplomatic pressure.

"I am delighted and excited to report that my client US citizen Dena Karari... is now free," Genser shared in a public statement. "This would not have happened but for the extraordinary and relentless efforts of President Trump."

The sudden resolution of Karari’s exit ban comes at a highly volatile moment between Washington and Tehran. The announcement coincided with a fresh wave of US military strikes targeting Iranian military assets near the Strait of Hormuz following the breakdown of a recent temporary ceasefire.

Despite the heightened military tensions, US officials had reportedly placed Karari’s name on a priority list handled by special envoy Steve Witkoff to press for her immediate departure. While President Trump publicly welcomed the move as a sign of "Goodwill," the State Department has declined to give further official commentary on the specifics of the negotiations.

Karari is currently en route back to the United States, where she is expected to reunite with her family and recuperate.