Iran Releases 80 Prisoners Ahead of President's Trip to New York

For the UN meeting

Iran said Monday it had freed 80 prisoners arrested in political crackdowns, offering another potential diplomatic boost for the country's new president and his outreach to the West at this week'sU.N. gathering.

The announcement of the mass release came just hours after Hasan Rouhani departed for New York for the annual U.N. General Assembly, where he is expected to seek Western pledges to restart stalled talks over Iran's nuclear program.