Dena Karari, a U.S.-Iran dual citizen who had been unable to leave Iran for a year under allegations of espionage and collaborating with a hostile state, has departed the country and is now back in the United States, her lawyer confirmed.
Her attorney, Jared Genser, announced late Wednesday that Karari was free, stating she was "safe and traveling back to the United States." By Sunday morning, Genser posted on social media that Karari had successfully returned home, sharing a photo of her at an airport draped in an American flag. He expressed gratitude, writing, "THANK YOU to all who made this day possible, known and unknown." Genser also noted that Karari had been "wrongly detained by the Iranian regime" for 566 days.
Karari had been under an exit ban since December 2024, which prevented her from leaving Iran, though she was not formally imprisoned. Her attorney described the accusations against her as "bogus charges." Despite her coercive exit ban expiring in April, Iranian authorities had not permitted her to exit at that time.
Concerns for Karari's health had grown after she suffered a heart attack on July 8, according to two sources. Her name was reportedly on a list of Americans provided by the U.S. State Department to U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, who is involved in U.S.-Iran diplomatic efforts, to advocate for her release.
Earlier Wednesday, President Trump commented on Truth Social about the release of an unidentified U.S. citizen from Iran. He stated, "She is now safely outside of Iran, and in good condition," adding, "The United States of America appreciates this gesture of Goodwill by Iran." The State Department, however, declined to comment on Karari's specific situation.
Karari's return comes amidst ongoing concerns for several other Americans imprisoned in Iran. Among them, Kamran Hekmati and Reza Valizadeh have been legally designated as wrongfully detained by the State Department. This designation is applied based on criteria such as credible evidence of innocence or reports that individuals are held to extract concessions from the U.S. government.
Last month, a recording was obtained of Valizadeh, an Iranian American journalist, pleading for his release from Tehran's notorious Evin Prison. The release of detained Americans was not part of a memorandum of understanding signed by the U.S. and Iran last month, which extended a ceasefire between the two countries for 60 days. Fighting between the two sides has since resumed over the last week.
Welcome home #DenaKarari from #Iran to the land of the free and the home of the brave 🇺🇸 — after 566 days wrongly detained by the Iranian regime. THANK YOU to all who made this day possible, known and unknown. We must now redouble our efforts to get all the other Americans out! pic.twitter.com/g0huxfhZN3
Welcome home #DenaKarari from #Iran to the land of the free and the home of the brave 🇺🇸 — after 566 days wrongly detained by the Iranian regime. THANK YOU to all who made this day possible, known and unknown. We must now redouble our efforts to get all the other Americans out! pic.twitter.com/g0huxfhZN3— Jared Genser
