Freed Iran prisoner 'proud to be an American'

An ex-Marine freed from Iranian prison over the weekend said Tuesday he is "very humbled" by the support he and the other captives received from the American public and Congress.

"I feel very lucky, I feel alive for the first time," said Amir Hekmati during a brief news conference in Landstuhl, Germany. "It’s like being born again — and I just feel proud to be an American."

Hekmati, 32, spent more than 4 years in an Iranian prison after being charged with espionage while visiting relatives there. He was one of four Iranian-Americans released in an exchange with the Iranian government. The four were flown to Germany, where they were undergoing medical tests before returning the the United States.

"This is all so surreal. We are just soaking it in right now," said Hekmati, who was born in Arizona and lived in Flint, Mich., before his arrest.

Throughout his imprisonment, his family and U.S. officials denied the charges against him. He was held at Tehran's notorious Evin Prison, and his family received word that the prison was plagued by blackouts, a lack of heat, rat infestations and food that consisted of parasite-filled lentils and rice.

"I was at a point where I had accepted the fact that I was going to spend 10 years in prison," Hekmati said. "So this really was a surprise. I feel really blessed."

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Tuesday that U.S. officials believe Robert Levinson, who disappeared in Iran in 2007 while working for the CIA on an unapproved intelligence mission, may no longer be in that country. Still, Iran's government has agreed to continue cooperating with the United States to determine his whereabouts.

Levinson's family insists he is still alive and has spoken out repeatedly after he was not among the Americans released by Iran over the weekend.