Tehran announced the release of Iranian scientist Massoud Soleimani from the United States shortly before Washington declared American researcher Xiyue Wang was returning home. "Glad that Professor Massoud Soleimani and Mr Xiyue Wang will be joining their families shortly," Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted. In a statement issued in Washington, US President Donald Trump said that "after more than three years of being held prisoner in Iran, Xiyue Wang is returning to the United States." Spying allegationsThe United States and Iran have not had diplomatic ties since 1980. In September, an Iranian woman sentenced in the United States for violating Washington's sanctions against Tehran was released and returned home.

Source: Dhaka Tribune December 07, 2019 12:56 UTC