DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran said on Monday it had freed a Canadian-Iranian academic detained since June, releasing her just a week after the two countries began talks on a potential restoration of diplomatic relations broken in 2012.

Homa Hoodfar, 65, is a teacher at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada, and an expert on gender and Islam.

“Homa Hoodfar, the retired professor of Canadian universities, who had been detained in Iran based on some accusations, was released this afternoon for humanitarian reasons including illness,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said.

He said Hoodfar had left the Islamic Republic and was traveling to Canada via the Gulf Arab state of Oman.

Oman confirmed it had arranged for a royal air force plane to fly Hoodfar to Muscat on her way to Canada, heeding a Canadian request to help in her release, state news agency ONA quoted a Foreign Ministry statement as saying.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have arrested at least seven dual-nationality citizens or expatriates visiting the country over the past year, the highest such number in acknowledged detention in recent years.

Oman, an ally of the West that also maintains good relations with Tehran, has previously helped facilitate prisoner exchanges between Iran and the United States.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that while his country had sought Hoodfar’s release “at the highest levels,” it had worked with Oman, Italy and Switzerland since Ottawa has no embassy in Iran.

“I would also like to recognize the cooperation of those Iranian authorities who facilitated her release and repatriation,” he said in a statement. “They understand that cases like these impede more productive relations.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Canadian counterpart Stephane Dion met last week during the annual U.N. General Assembly in New York for the first time since Tehran and Ottawa severed relations four years ago.

Canada shut its embassy in Iran and expelled all Iranian diplomats in Canada in 2012 after accusing Tehran of posing the biggest threat to global security, mainly over its nuclear program and military assistance to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Since striking a deal with world powers last year under which it curbed its nuclear activity in exchange for sanctions relief, pragmatist Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has sought to mend ties with the West to improve the economy.

However, the potential diplomatic opening to longtime Western adversaries has been resisted by powerful hardliners in the Iranian leadership, including the Revolutionary Guards.</s>TEHRAN, Iran — A Canadian-Iranian retired professor was released from prison on "humanitarian grounds" and flown out of Iran on Monday, Iran's state-run news agency said, ending her months of detention alongside other dual nationals swept up by hard-liners in the security services.

Homa Hoodfar returned to Canada via Oman, a brief report on the state-run IRNA news agency said. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hailed her release in a statement, thanking Italy, Switzerland and Oman for their help in the matter.

Hoodfar, 65, was questioned and barred from leaving Iran in March after traveling to the country to visit family following the death of her husband. Her family said she has been held in Tehran's Evin Prison since June. Hoodfar until recently taught anthropology and sociology at Montreal's Concordia University.

In July, Iran announced indictments for Hoodfar and three others, without providing any details about the accusations. In recent weeks, Hoodfar's supporters described her health as deteriorating while she was in solitary confinement, saying she was "barely able to walk or talk."

Hoodfar's supporters had pressed diplomats to discuss her case during the recent United Nations General Assembly in New York. Canadian Foreign Minister Stephane Dion met with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on the sidelines of the meeting Wednesday, state television reported.

Kaveh Ehsani, a friend of Hoodfar's in Chicago, said Monday that her supporters asked for "a period of crucial privacy before Homa and her family can address the media."

Canada has not had an embassy in Iran since 2012, when its then-Conservative-led government cut diplomatic ties over Tehran's contested nuclear program and other issues.

Trudeau said Canadians are "relieved that Dr. Hoodfar has been released from jail and will soon be reunited with her family, friends and colleagues."

"I would also like to recognize the cooperation of those Iranian authorities who facilitated her release and repatriation. They understand that cases like these impede more productive relations," he added.

Iran does not recognize dual nationalities, meaning those detained cannot receive consular assistance. In previous cases, dual nationals have faced secret charges in closed-door hearings in Iran's Revolutionary Court, which handles cases involving alleged attempts to overthrow the government.

Several dual nationals have been arrested in the year since world powers reached a nuclear deal with Iran to limit its uranium enrichment in exchange for the lifting of crippling economic sanctions.

Analysts have suggested Iranian hard-liners hope to use them as bargaining chips with the West. A prisoner swap in January between Iran and the U.S. that freed Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian and three other Iranian-Americans in exchange for pardons or charges dropped against seven Iranians also saw the U.S. make a $400 million cash delivery to Iran.

While that money repaid a 1970s Iranian account to buy U.S. military equipment, it was contingent on the prisoner release. That's garnered criticism from Republicans in an election year.

Others with Western ties known to be recently detained in Iran include:
• , an Iranian-American businessman who has advocated for closer ties between the two countries and whose father is also held in Tehran; Siamak Namazi , an Iranian-American businessman who has advocated for closer ties between the two countries and whose father is also held in Tehran;
• , a former Iranian and U.N. official in his 80s who is the father of Siamak; Baquer Namazi , a former Iranian and U.N. official in his 80s who is the father of Siamak;
• , an Iranian-American detained while visiting family who previously had made online comments criticizing Iran's human rights record; Robin Shahini , an Iranian-American detained while visiting family who previously had made online comments criticizing Iran's human rights record;
• , a British-Iranian woman sentenced to five years in prison on allegations of planning the "soft toppling" of Iran's government while traveling with her young daughter; and Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe , a British-Iranian woman sentenced to five years in prison on allegations of planning the "soft toppling" of Iran's government while traveling with her young daughter; and
• , a U.S. permanent resident from Lebanon recently sentenced to 10 years in prison and a $4.2 million fine. Nizar Zakka , a U.S. permanent resident from Lebanon recently sentenced to 10 years in prison and a $4.2 million fine.

Still missing is former FBI agent Robert Levinson, who vanished in Iran in 2007 while on an unauthorized CIA mission.

Gambrell report from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writers Adam Schreck in Dubai and Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed to this report.</s>Nader Hashemi is the Director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Denver. His latest book is Sectarianization: Mapping the New Politics of the Middle East.

Homa Hoodfar has been freed. Four months after her imprisonment, the Iranian-Canadian anthropologist is on her way home. This is a triumph for Canadian diplomacy. Justin Trudeau’s direct intervention with Omani official reportedly clinched the deal. But this is also a victory for political activism. Prof. Hoodfar’s arrest led to a massive global civil society mobilization – led by Canadians – demanding her release.

We should ask several questions: Why was she arrested? Why has she been released now? What does this mean for the future of Canada-Iran relations?

Prof. Hoodfar’s arrest came as no surprise. It occurred in the context of a major crackdown on civil society that followed the signing of the 2015 nuclear deal. Iranian hardliners tried to thwart the agreement, aware of the crisis of legitimacy facing the Iranian regime and living in constant fear that their control is gradually eroding. This is why Iranian jails are filled with journalists and activists. The popularity of their pro-democracy work undermines the regime’s legitimacy. Tehran’s public prosecutor stated that Prof. Hoodfar was arrested for the crime of “dabbling in feminism.” Feminism implies empowerment, directly connected to the broader theme of human rights and democratization. Prof. Hoodfar’s scholarship on Islamic feminism posed an indirect threat to the Iranian regime.

The timing of her release, however, is surprising. Based on similar cases, Iran has always demanded a quid pro quo before releasing dual citizens. Earlier this year, in a controversial deal, the United States and Iran swapped prisoners and money in exchange for the release of the Washington Post correspondent, Jason Rezaian, and three other Iranian-Americans. Immediately after Prof. Hoodfar’s arrest in June, Iran’s justice minister suggested that Tehran was willing to bargain over Prof. Hoodfar if Ottawa extradited an Iranian-Canadian banker who fled to Toronto in 2011 amid a corruption scandal. Was a secret deal negotiated between Ottawa and Tehran? Time will tell.

Prof. Hoodfar’s release could also have a more mundane explanation: She is in fragile health. It would have been a public relations disaster for the Islamic Republic had she died while in custody. Even without a quid pro quo, Iranian hardliners can still claim a partial victory. Tehran’s relations with the outside world have been set back. Dual citizens, a key component of Iran’s reintegration, now think twice before travelling to Iran.

Furthermore, a clear message has been sent to Iranian civil society activists: if dual citizens can be arrested at the whim of the regime, the same can be done with much greater ease toward Iranian citizens who don’t have a foreign government to lobby on their behalf.

What does this mean for Canada-Iran relations? First, Prof. Hoodfar’s release removes a major obstacle blocking the re-establishment of relations. Given the mobilization that took place on her behalf, it was inconceivable that Ottawa could restore relations while she was imprisoned. The pathway toward restoring relations is now easier though obstacles remain. At the top of the list is Iran’s destabilizing role in the Middle East, most notably in Syria where its fingerprints are all over Assad’s war crimes. Pressing Iran on this issue will be a point of contention in negotiating a path to normalization. Iran’s abysmal internal human rights record is also a cause of concern to many Canadians. They will justifiably protest if relations are re-established.

By itself, Canada can do very little to change Iranian behaviour in these areas. In concert with other countries, however, Ottawa’s voice is strengthened. It can reinforce the European position that closer relations with the West are dependent on Iran’s adherence to international human rights norms.

Canada stands to benefit from new business opportunities in Iran. Canadians who need consular and diplomatic representation, as in the tragic case of Alison Azer, are potential beneficiaries.

Homa Hoodfar was not the first Canadian arrested by the Iranian regime. Nor will she be the last. Iran will remain a rogue state for the foreseeable future. But the best strategy for dealing with such a regime is to take the long view.

Diplomatic engagement and economic relations hold the potential of increasing the standard of living of the average Iranian citizen. This will positively impact on Iran’s middle class and the youth population that yearns for a democratic Iran that takes its place among the community of nations. As Canada contemplates its next diplomatic move, these points are worth keeping in mind.</s>Iran said on Monday it had freed an Irish-Canadian-Iranian academic detained since June, a week after Iran and Canada began talks on a potential restoration of diplomatic relations.

Homa Hoodfar (65) is a teacher at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada, and an expert on gender and Islam.

She became an Irish citizen through marriage to an Irish man and her family have said she has a “deep bond” with the Irish community in the UK.

Ms Hoodfar’s health was said to be deteriorating; she suffers from a rare neurological condition – myasthenia gravis – that requires close medical supervision and medication.

“Homa Hoodfar, the retired professor of Canadian universities, who had been detained in Iran based on some accusations, was released this afternoon for humanitarian reasons including illness,” Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said.

He said Ms Hoodfar had left Iran and was travelling to Canada via the Gulf Arab state of Oman.

Oman confirmed it had arranged for a royal air force plane to fly Ms Hoodfar to Muscat on her way to Canada, state news agency ONA quoted a foreign ministry statement as saying.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have arrested at least seven dual-nationality citizens or expatriates visiting the country over the past year, the highest such number in acknowledged detention in recent years.

Oman, an ally of the West that also maintains good relations with Tehran, has previously helped facilitate prisoner exchanges between Iran and the US.

Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Canadian counterpart Stéphane Dion met last week during the annual UN General Assembly in New York for the first time since Tehran and Ottawa severed relations four years ago.

Canada shut its embassy in Iran and expelled all Iranian diplomats in Canada after accusing Tehran of posing the biggest threat to global security, mainly over its nuclear programme and military assistance to Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.

Since striking a deal with world powers last year under which it curbed its nuclear activity in exchange for sanctions relief, pragmatist Iranian president Hassan Rouhani has sought to mend ties with the West to improve the economy.

However, the potential diplomatic opening has been resisted by powerful hardliners in the Iranian leadership, including the Revolutionary Guards.
Iran releases Canadian-Iranian sociocultural anthropologist Homa Hoodfar, who had been held since June, as the countries begin talks on restoration of diplomatic ties.