Paris: French President Emmanuel Macron announced Tuesday the release of two French citizens who had been detained in Iran for three years.

According to Anadolu Agency, Macron shared on US social media company X that Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris have been released from Evin prison and are currently en route to the French Embassy in Tehran. Macron described the release as a "first step" and highlighted that dialogue is ongoing to secure their return to France "as soon as possible."

Cecile Kohler, a 40-year-old literature teacher, and her companion, Jacques Paris, were arrested in May 2022 while on a tourist trip to Iran. The Iranian authorities accused them of espionage, a claim France has refuted by labeling them as 'state hostages.'