Two unnamed detainees

The two other detainees have remained unnamed at the request of their families, the U.S. government has said. One is a scientist and businessman from California, detained nearly a year ago. The other is a woman who worked for humanitarian aid groups in Afghanistan and was arrested in 2023. Her detention delayed the U.S.-Iran prisoner deal when the United States said that all American citizens must be included in the swap, according to people familiar with the deal and Iranian media reports.

After landing, the released prisoners and their loved ones stood together for a photo, yelling "Freedom!" according to The Associated Press. The group also included two female relatives of the prisoners, who had previously been forbidden from traveling.

Namazi said on Monday that "what should have been the best days of my life were stolen" from him by Iran because of his detention.

"What I want more than anything is assurance that no one else will know the interminable anguish that my family and I experienced," he said. "But sadly, many are suffering those miseries right now."

Iran, Namazi said, "has mastered the nasty game of caging innocent Americans and other foreign nationals, and commercializing their freedom."