Iran's judiciary refutes Trump's claim of U.S. citizen's release

Alsharq Tribune-Ahmed Essam 

Iran's judiciary on Thursday denied U.S. President Donald Trump's claim that Tehran had released a U.S. citizen detained since December 2024, saying no U.S. prisoner or spy had been freed or exchanged.

Investigations showed "no American convicted prisoner or spy with the characteristics announced by Trump or with any other characteristics has been released from Iranian prisons or exchanged," the Mizan news agency of the judiciary reported.

The report pointed to Trump's track record of making unsubstantiated claims, saying he had previously been "deceived by his lying sources in other cases."

Trump announced Wednesday that Iran had allowed the U.S. citizen, later identified as Dena Karari, who had been trapped in Iran on bogus charges, to leave the country.

"She is now safely outside of Iran, and in good condition. The United States of America appreciates this gesture of Goodwill by Iran!" Trump said on Truth Social.

Karari's lawyer Jared Genser confirmed she is safe and traveling back to the United States.

The conflicting accounts came amid renewed clashes between the two countries, despite a U.S.-Iran peace memorandum of understanding signed in mid-June, under which the two sides were expected to begin negotiations within 60 days toward a final agreement.