A top Iranian judicial official says Iranian-American academic Kian Tajbakhsh will be released on bail when the investigation into his alleged spying activities is complete.

The official, Hossein Haddad, did not say when this could take place. Tajbakhsh has been jailed in Tehran's Evin prison since May.

An image grab taken from footage broadcast 18 July 2007 by the Islamic Republic of Iran News Network (IRINN) shows US-Iranian Haleh Esfandiari talking to a camera at an unidentified place and time in Iran

On Monday, another Iranian-American, Haleh Esfandiari, left Iran for Austria after being imprisoned for three months on spying allegations.

Washington dismissed allegations that the scholars were involved in spying.

U.S. State Department officials welcomed Esfandiari's release Tuesday, saying they hope for the safe return of all other Americans detained in Iran. A spokesman said they never should have been detained in the first place.

Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi, the lawyer for a third Iranian-American who has been prevented from leaving Iran, says Parnaz Azima has been given permission to leave the country.

Azima, who works for U.S.-funded Radio Farda, was given back her passport, Tuesday.

Iran is still detaining Iranian-American Ali Shakeri, who works for a university conflict-resolution group.