The Iranian doctor and scientist Majeed Taheri arrived at dawn today, after he was imprisoned in the United States on charges of violating sanctions on Iran, the second Iranian prisoner to be released by the United States in less than a week as part of an exchange process between the two sides.

Hussein Jabri Ansari, the Iranian assistant foreign minister, was greeted by Tahiri at Imam Khomeini airport in Tehran, and assured that the foreign ministry will do everything in its power to return all Iranians imprisoned in the United States.

Taheri was arrested for 16 months in America after being accused of violating the sanctions by sending a technical product to Iran, and the Iranian Fars Agency quoted Taheri as denying the American accusations against him as "unfair and wrong," and said, "I was helping the University of Tehran to develop a vaccine against cancer directed specifically to women." However, the American authorities stated that what Taheri sent to Iran needs a license, because it may be used in the production of chemical and biological weapons.

The Iranian doctor had admitted last December that he had violated the duty of financial disclosure by depositing $ 277,344 in a bank through several cash payments, according to US court documents.

Former American soldier Michael White accompanied the American envoy to Iran after he was released by the Iranian authorities (Reuters)

An American prisoner
and Taheri returned to his country as part of a prisoner exchange deal between Tehran and the United States. In return, Iran released a former US Navy soldier, Michael White, who was arrested by the Iranian authorities in July 2018 during his visit to the country, and was convicted of charges of insulting the Iranian leader, Ali Khamenei. And publishing private information on the Internet.

White was released last March as part of measures to tackle the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic, but he was asked not to leave Iran.

Last Wednesday, the American authorities released the Iranian scientist Sirus Asgari, who had been imprisoned for stealing trade secrets since 2016.

It is noteworthy that Washington is arresting scores of Iranians for violating the sanctions imposed on Tehran, in return, Tehran is arresting a number of Americans for spying for Washington.