TEHRAN — Iran announced Saturday that it had released four Iranian-Americans as part of a prisoner exchange with the United States.
The announcement from the judiciary on state television did not identify the four, but Iranian news media said they included Jason Rezaian, The Washington Post’s Tehran correspondent; Amir Hekmati, a Marine veteran; and Saeed Abedini, a pastor. There were discrepancies in the Iranian reports about the identity of the fourth prisoner.
Saeed Abedini's wife, who has been pleading for her husband's freedom since his capture in 2012, confirmed his release on Twitter Saturday morning:
It was not immediately clear whom the Americans released, but Iranian reports said seven Iranians were freed in exchange, and had already arrived in Tehran.
The exchange was apparently orchestrated to coincide with the expected announcement of the lifting of nuclear sanctions against Iran.
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