Freed US hikers spend 1st day of freedom secluded with kin

MUSCAT, Oman — Two Americans released from an Iranian prison were spending their first full day of freedom Thursday in seclusion with their families, after more than two years in custody accused as spies.

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Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer arrived Wednesday in Oman under a $1 million bail-for-freedom deal and were embraced by relatives. Also on hand was Sarah Shourd, who was freed by Iran last year.

It was a joyful reunion in the Gulf state of Oman and the families called it "the best day of our lives." President Barack Obama said the men's release was "wonderful news."

The three were detained in July 2009 along the Iran-Iraq border. They maintained their innocence, saying they were only hiking in Iraq's relatively peaceful Kurdish region and might have accidentally wandered into Iran. Last month, Fattal and Bauer were sentenced to eight years in prison each for illegal entry into Iran and espionage.

American and Omani officials did not disclose details on Thursday about the Americans' plans and when they may head home. After Shourd was freed last September, she stayed for days in Oman before she flew to United States.

Iran's Foreign Ministry said in a statement Thursday that the pair's release was a gesture of Islamic mercy and a response to calls for their freedom by world leaders such as U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, Venezuela's Hugo Chavez and Oman's ruler, Sultan Qaboos bin Said.

Complicated maneuvers
Wednesday's release capped complicated diplomatic maneuvers over a week of confusing signals by Iran's leadership. Although the fate of Fattal and Bauer gripped America, it was on the periphery of the larger showdowns between Washington and Tehran that include Iran's nuclear program and its ambitions to widen military and political influence in the Middle East and beyond