TEHRAN, Iran — The American woman released by Iran on Tuesday after more than a year in prison said she was grateful to Iran's president for her freedom shortly before she boarded a flight to the Gulf sultanate of Oman where her mother greeted her with a warm embrace.
Iran freed Sarah Shourd, 32, after arrangements were made to satisfy Iran's demand for a $500,000 bail. American officials said neither the U.S. government nor the family put up the money for the bail and they thanked U.S. ally Oman, which they said had played a critical, behind-the-scenes role in securing Shourd's release.
However, the case that has deepened strains between the U.S. and Iran was still far from resolved.
Shortly after announcing Shourd's release, Iranian authorities said they are not considering the immediate release of the two Americans arrested with Shourd — her fiance Shane Bauer and their friend Josh Fattal. Iran has charged all three with spying, though their families say they were innocent hikers arrested in a scenic mountain area along Iran's border with Iraq.
"I want to really offer my thanks to everyone in the world, all of the governments, all of the people, that have been involved, and especially, particularly want to address President Ahmadinejad and all of the Iranian officials, the religious leaders, and thank them for this humanitarian gesture," Shourd told Iran's English-language Press TV at the airport before she flew out.
"I'm grateful and I'm very humbled by this moment," she added. "I've learned a lot from women in the Middle East in this part of the world and I have a lot of respect for women and the tradition that surrounds them. I just want to assure you that my commitment to truth will not change. You know, when I go back to my country and I will never say anything but the truth to media and I will not succumb to any pressure."
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said Shourd was being released on compassionate grounds because of health reasons. Her mother says she has serious medical problems, including a breast lump and precancerous cervical cells.
Shourd arrived in Oman on a private government jet after a flight of about two hours. She was greeted with an embrace from her mother and then, looking relaxed and smiling, they strolled arm-in-arm on their way out.
President Barack Obama and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton both thanked Oman for its assistance and U.S. officials said Omani negotiators were key in the release. The Omanis worked with Swiss diplomats and the Iranian judiciary to win her freedom, particularly in resolving the issue of bail, the officials said.
Oman "in recent days and weeks became a key interlocutor to help us work this case with the Iranian government," State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said. "And we are very grateful to the role that Oman has played."
Tehran's chief prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dowlatabadi said a $500,000 bail had been paid to Iran's Bank Melli in Muscat, Oman but did not say who paid it. A U.S. official said neither the U.S. government nor the families of the hikers had paid the bail, but could not say who else might have paid it. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
Crowley said he could not say whether any money had changed hands in winning Shourd's release, but noted that "arrangements were made that satisfied Iranian requirements under their judicial system." At the same time, he said the U.S. government had no information to suggest that any U.S. or international sanctions imposed on Iran over its nuclear program had been violated in making those arrangements.
"The United States did not pay anything for her release. As you know, the government of Iran, through their judicial process, had specific requirements for her release, and arrangements were made that satisfied those requirements," Crowley said.
"Someone provided sufficient assurances to the government of Iran that satisfied, you know, their stipulations for release."
Obama welcomed the release but the families of the three Americans had mixed emotions.
"All of our families are relieved and overjoyed that Sarah has at last been released but we're also heartbroken that Shane and Josh are still being denied their freedom for no just cause," they said in a statement.
"We applaud the Iranian authorities for showing compassion in Sarah's case and again call on them to do the only right thing and release Shane and Josh immediately," the families said. "They deserve to come home too. Iran has no grounds to deprive them of their liberty a moment longer."
Obama said all Americans are celebrating Shourd's long-awaited return home.
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