Family of U.S. resident left out of prisoner deal with Iran demands answers from Biden administration

Washington — Shahab Dalili's family members have been anxiously waiting by the phone for seven years. 

They waited to hear whether he was even still alive when he wasn't on his flight back to the U.S. from Iran, where he attended his father's funeral in 2016. They've waited for the occasional phone calls from him since he's been imprisoned in Tehran's notorious Evin prison, serving a 10-year sentence for allegedly aiding and abetting a foreign country. They've waited for acknowledgment from the U.S. government to their pleas for help.

And since the Biden administration announced a deal last week that could bring five other detained Americans home from Iran in the coming weeks, the family is now waiting for an explanation on why Shahab has been left out.