ISTANBUL

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

"Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris ... have been released from Evin prison and are on their way to the French Embassy in Tehran," Macron wrote on US social media company X.

He further welcomed the "first step," adding that dialogue continues to ensure 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 during a tourist trip to Iran.

They were accused by Iranian authorities of espionage, with France calling them “state hostages.”