President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday, July 16, 2026, that Iran has released an American citizen who had been detained since December 2024. Trump described the release as a “gesture of Goodwill by Iran” and expressed appreciation on behalf of the United States. He made the announcement on social media without naming the individual.

The released citizen was identified by her lawyer, Jared Genser, as Dena Karari, a dual US-Iranian citizen. Genser, a human rights lawyer known for handling high-profile cases of Americans detained abroad, said Karari had been subject to a coercive exit ban but was never physically detained. She was interrogated multiple times by Iran’s Intelligence Ministry due to her involvement with the Children of Mehr Foundation, a nonprofit organization that aided impoverished children in Iran with private donor support and authorization from the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

Karari had been banned from leaving Iran after visiting family in 2024. Genser stated that she is now safe and traveling back to the United States. He credited the release to the “extraordinary and relentless efforts” of President Trump and urged Iran to drop charges against Iranians who worked locally for the foundation.

The New York Times reported last year that Karari worked for an American technology company and ran a charity for underprivileged children in Iran. After the US joined Israel in bombing Iran in 2025, she was charged with espionage.

Trump’s announcement coincided with fresh US strikes on Iran, reflecting increased pressure on the country in recent days.

As many as five other Americans remain detained in Iran, including Reza Valizadeh and Kamran Hekmati, both designated as wrongfully detained by the US State Department.

Sources