File photo of Jason Rezaian, Washington Post's Tehran correspondent. (Photo: AP)
Jason Rezaian, The Washington Post's Tehran correspondent, and Saeed Abedini, a pastor from Idaho, are among four dual Iranian nationals freed by Iran, the Fars News Agency confirmed Saturday.
Iran said Saturday that four Iranian dual nationals had been freed as part of a prisoner exchange in line with national interests at the order of the country's top security committee.
Rezaian and Abedini are both Iranian-American citizens. Iran's judiciary did not name the four dual-nationals who were released as part of a prisoner swap.
But Fars, citing its judicial reporter, said Rezaian and Abedini were two of the four set free.
The announcement came as Iran and world powers led by the United States were expected to finally implement last July's nuclear deal, which will lift international sanctions imposed on the Islamic republic.
As well as California-born Rezaian, sentenced to unspecified jail time last year having been tried for espionage, Iran has been holding three other Iranian-American citizens.
Pastor Saeed Abedini was in jail for three years after being convicted of undermining national security.
*The story was edited by Ahram Online.
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