By Kelvin Obambon
A US Navy veteran is returning home after being freed from detention in Iran.
Michael White was sentenced to prison last year on unspecified charges, but was released temporarily on medical grounds to the Swiss embassy in March.
He was arrested in 2018 after travelling to meet his girlfriend in the city of Mashhad.
The news comes days after an Iranian scientist detained in the US was deported.
Sirous Asgari, a materials science professor from Tehran, had been charged in 2016 with trying to trade secret research from an American university, but was acquitted in November.
The twin releases appear to be a rare example of co-operation between Iran and the US – although Washington has denied so far that it was a straight prisoner swap.
US President Donald Trump confirmed Mr White’s release on Thursday and said the Swiss plane he was travelling on had left Iranian airspace.
Source: BBC
