Two Austrian citizens freed from captivity in Iran

June 2 (UPI) -- Austria's Foreign Ministry said Friday that two of its citizens have been released from Iran with the help of Oman negotiators.

Kamran Ghaderi and Massud Mossaheb have spent years in Iranian custody, said Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg on Friday.

"Extremely grateful to our friends in Oman who played a crucial role in releasing two Austrian-Iranian citizens from imprisonment in Iran," he said on Twitter. "Our long-standing diplomatic commitment has paid off."

Schallenberg praised Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi for his diplomatic efforts with Iran.

"Today is a very emotional day for all of us," he added. "I would like to thank my team at the foreign ministry and the Austrian ministry in Tehran for their tireless effort. We are especially happy for the brave families who have suffered for so many years. Now they can finally embrace their husbands, fathers, and grandfather again in freedom."

Officials said the Ghaderi and Mossaheb held dual Austrian-Iran citizenship. Ghaderi had been held in 2016 for 2,709 days and Mossaheb in 2019 for 1,586 days in Iranian detention.

Last month, a pair of French citizens were also released from Iran. France's Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said Bernard Phelan and Benjamin Briere had been released from Vakilabad prison and were on their and returned to France after receiving medical treatment.