This is obviously another good will gesture of the Iranian government, responding to the US diplomatic offensive.
An Iranian-American journalist branded a US spy has been jailed for eight years by Iran, her lawyer says.
Roxana Saberi, 31, was arrested in January and went on trial this week.
She worked briefly for the BBC three years ago, and has also worked for the American public radio network NPR and the TV network Fox News.
Ms Saberi originally faced the less serious accusation of buying alcohol, then of working as a journalist without a valid press card.
"She has been sentenced to eight years ... I will appeal," Ms Saberi's lawyer Abdolsamad Khorramshahi told the Reuters news agency.
The US has previously expressed its concern at Ms Saberi's detention, dismissing allegations against her as "baseless".
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has demanded her release.
A US-Iranian national, Ms Saberi has spent six years in Iran studying and writing a book.
Her arrest and trial has coincided with speculation about a thaw in US-Iranian relations, with US President Barack Obama offering a dialogue with Tehran on a range of issues.
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