Dena Karari has been released from Iran after being trapped in the country since December 2024 on allegations of espionage.

Dena Karari, a U.S.-Iran dual citizen, has successfully departed Iran after being held under a coercive exit ban since December 2024. Although she was never formally imprisoned, Karari faced "bogus charges" of espionage and collaboration with a hostile state, enduring dozens of interrogations by the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security. The administration announced the release as a gesture of goodwill from Iran. President Trump noted that Karari is now safely outside of Iran and in good condition. Her attorney, Jared Genser, credited the release to the relentless efforts of the administration. The release comes as the U.S. and Iran continue to exchange military strikes. While the two nations recently signed a memorandum of understanding to extend a ceasefire, fighting has resumed over the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. recently completed a round of precision strikes targeting Iranian command centers and missile capabilities to protect commercial vessels. Karari, who ran a nonprofit for impoverished children, is now traveling back to the United States.

Sources