Retired Navy veteran Michael White, who was incarcerated in Iran for approximately two years, issued high praises for President Trump after his release.
On Thursday, White, a 48-year-old cancer patient, said his health has improved since being released from Iran and thanked Trump for his actions to “make America great again.”
“I do want to extend my personal thanks to President Trump for his efforts both diplomatically and otherwise to making America great again. And I look forward to what’s going to happen here in the future,” White said.
White said his condition has improved since being released, though noting he contracted COVID-19 while in Iran prior to being placed on furlough. “Getting a lot better as a result of Swiss Embassy and all the efforts of the Trump administration,” he said.
The president tweeted shortly after that he had spoken with White over the phone and that White will board a plane en route to the United States from Zurich, Switzerland. Trump said White’s release from Iran, which fired rockets at Iraqi air bases with U.S. personnel just months ago, makes possible a potential diplomatic solution between the two countries.
“I just got off the phone with former American hostage Michael White, who is now in Zurich after being released from Iran. He will be on a U.S. plane shortly, and is COMING HOME to the UNITED STATES!” Trump tweeted. “We have now brought more than 40 American hostages and detainees back home since I took office. Thank you to Iran, it shows a deal is possible!”
…to the UNITED STATES! We have now brought more than 40 American hostages and detainees back home since I took office. Thank you to Iran, it shows a deal is possible!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 4, 2020
White is the second American to be freed by Iran since Trump took office in 2017. In December 2019, Iran released Princeton doctoral student Xiyue Wang, who was held hostage for approximately three years after the country suspected him of spying.
In exchange, the U.S. freed Iranian scientist Masoud Soleimani, who was arrested in Chicago in 2018 on charges of violating U.S. trade sanctions against Iran by attempting to bring biological substances to the foreign country.
In early January, the U.S. announced it successfully killed top Iranian military official Gen. Qassem Soleimani. The U.S. claimed Soleimani was planning future attacks that posed a threat to U.S. national security.
