‘Iranian Scientist Freed from US Jail Offered to Stay in America’

Iran’s foreign minister says freed Iranian scientist Masoud Soleimani had been offered to stay in the United States.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (right) and stem cell scientist Masoud Soleimani (left) arrive at Tehran's Mehrabad Airport after the latter was released from a US jail within a prisoner swap deal between the two countries.

Mohammad Javad Zarif made the comment after Soleimani was released in a prisoner swap and returned home.

“During this period, he had been offered, several times, that he stay in the US instead of returning to his country or in prison, but this patriotic professor refused to,” said Zarif.

Zarif said Soleimani was exchanged for an American prisoner who had been behind bars in Iran for espionage, but was offered amnesty and sent back to his country.

The foreign minister then touched upon Washington’s efforts to put the brakes on Iran’s scientific progress.

“Over the past 40 years, the US has tried to stop Iran’s progress. The US adopted the ‘maximum pressure’ policy to stop our progress, but to no avail,” he said.

According to Zarif, Soleimani speaks of US wardens, judges and prosecutors being angry at his scientific achievements.

The foreign minister said Washington is dismayed at Iran’s scientific and technological accomplishments as well as Iranians’ self-confidence.

IFP Editorial Staff

The IFP Editorial Staff is composed of dozens of skilled journalists, news-writers, and analysts whose works are edited and published by experienced editors specialized in Iran News. The editor of each IFP Service is responsible for the report published by the Iran Front Page (IFP) news website, and can be contacted through the ways mentioned in the "IFP Editorial Staff" section.