An 85-year-old Iranian-American held by Iran over internationally criticized spying charges left the country Wednesday for Oman, officials said, after increasing pressure to free him amid his struggles with poor health. His 50-year-old son, however, remains in Iran.
The release of Baquer Namazi marks the first American to be freed by Iran since President Joe Biden took office, even as talks over Tehran's tattered nuclear deal with world powers have stalled. Iran long has used detained Westerners or those with ties abroad as bargaining chips in negotiations.
