US-based Iranian professor Vahid Abedini released after ICE detention

A US-based Iranian university professor detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been released after spending several days in custody.

In a post on LinkedIn, University of Oklahoma professor Vahid Abedini said in the early hours of Tuesday morning: "I’m pleased to share that I was released from detention tonight. This was a deeply distressing experience, especially witnessing the suffering of those who did not have the same support that I did."

He then thanked his university, the Middle East Studies Association, and the broader Iran studies and political science communities for supporting him through his ordeal.

In an email sent to the local Oklahoman news website, an ICE spokesperson said Abedini was detained for "standard questioning". No further details on his arrest were provided.

Abedini was arrested on Saturday as he was making his way to the Middle East Studies Association conference in Washington, DC, and was detained as he was boarding his flight from Oklahoma City Airport.

The New Arab’s US correspondent said that he was then released to an ICE field office in Oklahoma on Monday and subsequently sent to an unknown location.

Several friends and colleagues of Abedini’s also confirmed his release. Following his arrest, Vali Nasr, an International Affairs professor at Johns Hopkins University, said on X that Abedini was "wrongfully detained" and that he carried a valid visa.

Joshua Landis, a professor at Oklahoma University, also stressed that Abedini had a valid H-1B visa, which is a non-immigrant visa used to hire in specialty occupations, including higher education.

A prolific academic in political science, Abedini has taught at several US universities, including Florida International University and the University of Arkansas, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Abedini had been working at the University of Oklahoma for the past semester. Landis told TNA that the faculty did "everything right by the book" during his hiring process, including concerning the required paperwork.

Abedini’s arrest came amid an intensified crackdown on immigration launched by US President Donald Trump’s administration this year. A number of students and professionals have been detained and threatened with deportation for political activism concerning Israel’s deadly war in Gaza.

Several Iranians in the US have also been targeted by this crackdown. Iran is among 12 countries impacted by a US travel ban which took effect earlier this year.