Two American hikers who had been jailed in Iran since 2009 are now free and heading to Oman.

Iranian state media say Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal boarded a plane bound for the Omani capital, Muscat, on Wednesday. It is the first leg of their journey back to the United States.

Earlier Wednesday, the two men were handed over to an Omani delegation after a judge approved an order for their release on a combined bail of $1 million.

Iranian authorities had detained Bauer, Fattal and a third American, Sarah Shourd, on spying charges in 2009. Tehran said they illegally crossed into the country from Iraq. Iran freed Shourd last year on $500,000 bail and she returned to the United States.

The families of all three hikers have released a statement saying their relief over Fattal and Bauer's freedom “knows no bounds.” They also say they want to embrace the two men and “catch up on two lost years.”

In August, an Iranian court had sentenced Bauer and Fattal to eight years in prison on spying convictions.

All three Americans had maintained their innocence and said they were hiking in the mountains of northern Iraq while on vacation. They said that if they crossed the unmarked border into Iran, it was by mistake.

The release of the two men came a day before Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is scheduled to address the U.N. General Assembly in New York.

Analysts say Mr. Ahmadinejad may have been hoping to use the release to gain some international approval. Iranian media say he will focus on a theme of global management in his annual speech before the world body.