President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Iran has released an American citizen who had been detained in the country since December 2024, describing the move as a gesture of goodwill amid the ongoing conflict between Washington and Tehran.
Trump announced the release on social media but did not identify the individual or provide details on the circumstances of their detention or release. The announcement came the same day the US carried out daytime airstrikes on Iran for the first time since fighting resumed last week, part of a fifth consecutive day of American strikes targeting Iranian military infrastructure near the Strait of Hormuz.
The release comes despite the sharp deterioration in relations between the two countries in recent days, with both sides trading strikes and Iran’s foreign ministry saying it currently has no plans to resume negotiations. Trump did not say whether the release was connected to any broader diplomatic understanding or link it explicitly to the current fighting.
