Insight - As relations thaw, some Iranian prisoners in U.S. hope for early release

Bahram Mechanic, accused by the U.S. of sanctions violations, is seen in a photo taken in December 2012 in Houston, Texas, provided by Delaram Massoudi. REUTERS/Delaram Massoudi/Handout via Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Vahid Hosseini struggled to make it in the United States after he left Iran 25 years ago. A trained engineer, he hauled trash, delivered pizza and worked in landscaping.

Then, in 2008, Hosseini found a more lucrative activity: buying industrial equipment from dozens of American companies and shipping it to Dubai, from where it was forwarded to Iran.