Tehran
An Iranian scientist returned home Monday after his release from a US jail in what the Islamic republic said was a prisoner exchange it hopes can be repeated between the arch-foes. Majid Taheri — an Iranian-American who had been working at a clinic in Tampa, Florida — had been detained in the United States for 16 months.
He was freed last Thursday as Iran released US Navy veteran Michael White, who had been detained in the country since his arrest in July 2018. Upon his arrival at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport, Taheri was greeted by deputy foreign minister Hossein Jaberi Ansari.
State media published pictures of the pair speaking to journalists. “I hope to see the release of (other Iranians imprisoned abroad) in the near future,” Ansari was quoted as saying by ISNA news agency, adding his ministry would do its best to achieve this.
Ansari said the scientist was freed after months of efforts by the ministry in coordination with Switzerland, whose embassy in Tehran handles US interests. Taheri for his part thanked Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
“I thank the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran and dear officials, including Mr Zarif, who worked hard, and other officials who took months to help release me, as an Iranian physician accused of circumventing US sanctions on medicine,” he was quoted as saying. Taheri was second scientist to have returned to Iran from United States in the past week, after Cyrus Asgari flew home on Wednesday. A US federal judge issued an order to free Taheri on time served. Taheri had been accused of violating US sanctions by sending a technical item to Iran in December pleaded guilty to charges he violated financial reporting requirements by depositing $277,344 at a bank.—AFP
