Donald Trump has announced on his social media account that Iran has allowed an American woman citizen to leave the country. This woman was wrongfully detained in December 2024. According to Trump, she is now safely outside Iran and in good condition.
What Trump wrote
Trump posted on Truth Social that the American citizen who was wrongfully detained in December 2024 was detained, in his words, under the presidency of Sleepy Joe Biden. Trump said the woman is now safely out of Iran and in good condition. He thanked Iran for the move, writing that the United States appreciates this gesture of goodwill by Iran. The post was signed President Donald J. Trump.
The bigger picture: Americans detained in Iran
The release comes amid months of tension between Washington and Tehran over Americans held in Iranian custody. In February 2026, the United States formally designated Iran as a State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention and warned Americans to leave the country immediately, telling them to be ready for detention if they stayed. Following that designation, the FBI vowed to work toward freeing Americans held in Iran.
In March 2026, Secretary of State Marco Rubio designated Iranian-American citizen Kamran Hekmati as wrongfully detained by Iran. Around the same time, the State Department said a second American had also been wrongfully detained, adding to concerns over the number of Americans held in the country. An Iranian-American journalist who was wrongfully detained also pleaded publicly for release.
In June 2026, Trump said he would try to secure the release of a Jewish-American detainee along with other Americans held in Iran. Families of the detained Americans have also asked Trump to make their release a priority in any talks involving Iran.
What happens next
Trump's post confirms that the American woman detained since December 2024 has now been released, but news reports indicate that other American and Iranian-American citizens remain in Iranian custody. The Trump administration has repeatedly said securing their release is a priority, particularly in any negotiations involving Iran. Whether this latest release has any bearing on those remaining cases should become clearer in the days ahead.
