>> tech know where technology meets humanity... only on al jazeera america on "america tonight". baltimore's war on heroin. >> if we had any other disease, that's causing 303 deaths, we would be mobilizing every resource we can. >> "america tonight"s adam may with charm city's aggressive plan to get heroin off the the streets. l a deal for creed am. a fate of americans held by brown. could the grooement be the opening to their release? >> thanks for joining us. no one despites the

dramatic impact to put a deal on the iranian impact. plenty of changes remain. the white house has to wrangle republican opponents. israel proclaimed the deal an historic mistake. the agreement is recognised for a change within iran and the dispera of its people. the largest community is settled names like persian square or little tehran. acknowledging impact and correction. michael oku begins our report in los angeles. >> reporter: these are the streets of what is sometimes called a portion of west l.a., home it a population of iranians. if you expect a celebration,

dancing in the streets in relation to the nuclear arms deal, you would be disappointed. nina nose why folks are cautiously and quietly optimistic. it's a culture of fear climate that existed with anyone outside of iran which conserns iranian americans that travel back and korth. whether it's to visit family or their homeland. everyone is afraid to say anything, do anything that might be caught on a western camera, where they are concerned where they travel back and fourth. square. >> western boulevard is a little home away interest home for included. >> her story is similar to many here. the daughter of a former ambassador under the last secular government. she and her family fled after the revolution. >> you fled. >> many did. >> reporter: she's an historian

and author. her late is book on the feminism iran. like many iranian americans, she'd like to visit the deal, at long last the day she has hope. >> i'm hoping the day will come where i don't have to worry. for me, this is a small twilight of hope, that may be i can go back and visit and not worry. >> reporter: she says the sanctions created a humanitarian crisis in iran. what does it mean to loved ones in the old country? >> it's a great question. i have family in iran. some members don't have access to pharmaceutical material that we routinely obtain here. drugs. >> basic prescription drugs, basic basic. very basic.

heath care is suffering. access to every day essentials is scanned. the currency has lost valued, and loses 150,000 highly educated citizens annually because of debilitating economic circumstances. >> reporter: any immigrant community understands this concept, which is doing well in your chosen country and giving something back to folks who are left behind. whether it's mun or other resources. will this deal with iranian americans back home fashion. >> even the sanctions or having the basic common - access to

basic necessities that you and i take for granted, such as every day provisions. just so much is missing, basic comforts are missing. if i have a loved one in iran, this gives me hope that they'll have access to things that you and i have access to on a daily basis. the regime has not suffered because of the sanctions. so it's hard to - it's a tight rope to navigate. if you look at it from a humanitarian perspective, and then a global political perspective where the regime is concerned, and there are the ring leaders as well. optimistic. >> whether or not do you think it means for local businesses, scores on the street. >> small business owners are lined up waiting for the doors to open.

it's an untapped goldmine. concerned. >> you call it a gold line. the ability to potentially make a lot of money by having subsidiaries in that region is huge. >> reporter: for the few that mixed. >> persia was a unique situation, smart people and smart in being conniving. as the government is. i'm not saying that iranians are, but the government, regime now. that's the best option of not so good options. obama pushed them with sanctions to get them to come to the table in a state that - it's a weakened state where they change the government from a more hard-lined government to a less hard-lined government.

>> nina acknowledges that the deal is not being great with open arms by everywhere, she says it's a necessary step in relationship. >> it's basically as if two people who never spoke are willing to talk a little bit. that is opening a door that has been shut for almost 40 years. welcomed indeed. michael oku joins us from los angeles. we heard the administration proclaiming something of a victory in reaching this deal. they have to contend with republican opponents. i wonder what you saw in the community, did the iranian americans feel that the united states had a victory, had a good or a raw deal out of this. >> it's a good question. when you talk to people on the streets, i think that nina does, in fact, speak for everyone when she says that she's cautiously optimistic. you know, on the one hand people recognise far and wide that this

is a break through. you have two powers who, for a other. they are sitting at the table and have been able to hammer out a deal. timely, resolving the long-lasting situation having to do with sanctions. when we talk to people, they will tell you that this is a limited deal. you know, had is about, you know suspending a nuclear programme on the one happened, and lifting sanctions on the other, but it's not about the issues that are close to the heart of iranian americans in los angeles. and that happens to be with human rights. they say unless the administration moves progressively - i should say the regime moves progressively to resolving issues, there'll be a great deal of cautions on the streets in los angeles. it took a long time to get people here to talk to us. even when the cameras were not rolling. there were folks that would not have anything to do with

journalists, because they'd been so exhausted by this process, and, frankly, among the people who travelled back and forth between the united states and iran. people who have family there, or who have small businesses that they run, they are concerned about retribution. a thing like talking to a journalist on camera is something that they are really reticent and reluctant to do. there has been a culture of fear that has been instilled in these people that they don't want to talk too openly about this. there is a great mistrust for this regime, until that is resolved, you'll hear over and over that while there is optimism, there's a great deal of caution. >> do you have the sense with the mistrust in maintained, that they feel things will be better for folks at home in tehran. >> i think in a word, yes.

streets. they will tell you that there is a whole generation of young people in iran who know nothing about the the terrible staggering weight of the sanctions. an interesting thing about iran is roughly 65% of the general population is between the ages of 30 and 35. it is an extremely young population. there's still - they are impressionable. all they have known are the sanctions "america tonight"s michael oku chances for release after the sanctions are lifted. arson ali from the ashes. one in five fires is deliberately set. find out why at

[ ♪♪ ] conspicuously absent from the announcement of the nuclear deal with iran, the fate of americans imprisoned by tehran, several are known to be held has prisoners, one is a christian pastor, another a journalist for a major u.s. newspaper, and a former u.s. marine, the longest held american prisoner in iran. "america tonight"s sheila macvicar heard his family's anguish and hopes to see him freed. >> reporter: december 18th, 2011, iranian state television. >> my name is amir. >> reporter: amir, born in 1983 in flagstaff arizona to iranian-american parents.

one of four children in a close and active family. high school hockey star, and an american combat veteran, as a u.s. marine sergeant, serving in iraq and afghanistan. >> i was proud of him for wanting to serve his country. >> post iraq, working as a contractor. >> in december 2011 in tehran, accused as an american spy, an agent for the c.i.a. making this public expression. back home... >> the first time it was his face in tv. >> reporter: it was the first time in months that the family knew where amir was. >> what did you think as you heart imear speak in the confession video?

>> i was shocked locking at his face. that was not him. i said "michael, what did they do to him?", >> reporter: there was a secret trial, his military card, employment agreement with contractors was produced, unusual pocket literature for a spiers evidence of tying with c.i.a. he was sentenced to death. >> it was sickening, we can't believe it got to this point. months later, a new trial was ordered. he was able to visit. >> he was very bad shape. he was very bad. he was tiny, he was crying all the time. his face was like chalk. it was white. and long beard. no shape. hair was shaved. i was worried about him. most of the time he was crying - me and him were crying, and he - from that day, he told me, mum, don't believe anything.

i'm innocent sheila macvicar is here now. with the news our thoughts turn anything. >> it's four years august that he was imprisoned. the family issued a statement welcoming the deal, hoping that it would bring about improved conditions. but, of course, there's no word about amir in the context of this deal. there's no word about the other americans there are others, it's not just amir. >> a "the washington post" reporter, a pastor, former fbi agent that may or may not in the custody of iranians. >> there's others. this deal is limited in it's parameter. it's a big deal. whether something comes out of it down the road. that's what we don't know. we look to the example of cuba, the release of bow

bergdahl. americans expect if there's a deal there would be some prisoner relief. president. >> it's not indicated in any way. it's not a deal between the u.s. and iranians, there's the russians, chinese, the europeans and the united states. this deal is himmed to solely the nuclear question, designed to ensure that rain does no go down the path of north korea, pakistan or israel. it does have the potential, and i'll say that word again. the potential to be transformative down the line, but depends how the deal is implemented, if the iranians keep their word. there is the possibility that other things may flow from that. there's a lot of things on the issue. not just the question of american prisoners.

>> people have, in a sense, a big history making event, a negotiation that sureliy produced. it's not like that exactly. >> it is history making, showing that diplomacy can work. that is a big deal. it does not with the other issues on the trable between the united states and iran. the u.s. embassy is not opening soon. it's in the hands of revolutionary guards, and is now a museum to the hostage taking staff there at the time of the revolution. that is not happening. >> iran state sponsorship of hezbollah. support for the syrian president in his war against his own people, the support for houthi rebels in yemen. none are on the table. there's no other indication of any kind of change required in

iran's before or demeanour. what they have to do is meet the requirements of this deal as it relates to verification, inspection and in exchange hor that, they get economic relief, some sanctions lifted in a way. >> when you hear the sanctions released. how much are they taking into consideration that this is not a deal between the president of the united states and leadership of iran. >> the congress will vote on the deal. the when is are there enough votes to veto the deal. the president said he will not permit it to happen. it has international players. the iranians have to vote on the deal, and there's not universal support in tehran, there's questions about what the supreme leader thinks about it. he's been sending mixed messages. there's questions about what the president things about it. the most important person is the

supreme leader and he suggested that "no, we will not allow inspections of military sites", in the deal there'll be inspections of military sites. so it's very hard to know in the iranian context what the iranians think they have achieved, and how they are going to make sure that that deal is supported, and is implemented. >> "america tonight"s sheila macvicar next here - a long way from home. never far from mind. in heartland u.s.a. and iranian and his american born son on the future of ties between his homeland and the place they now call home. and the high price of taking flights - wednesday, sheila macvicar follows up on a costly >> ali veslshi brings you a rare firsthand glimpse inside iran. >> i'm trying to get a sense of what iranians are feeling. >> the effects of international

sanctions. >> rampant inflation. this is workth $100. three years ago this was worth $250. >> what the nuclear deal means for the country, the region and the world. >> iran doesn't want the agreement to be blown apart by the next u.s. president. >> a real look at life in iran. >> the galleries and the art and the parties... everything, it's getting better.

on a crisis that hit america's streets, baltimore uncovered a radical plan to combat heroin addiction. they want to hope 24 hour emergency addiction clinics, and services to prisoners and those in recovery. money blocks the way. the price of a life-saving drug has sky rock eed. -- rocketed. >> this is what we give our clients in case someone overdoses.

>> reporter: inside the cramped quarters in baltimore, they are handing out a miracle drug. david is volunteering his time preparing clean needles for drug addicts that come in off the streets. out. >> in a matter of seconds, if it's on overdose, the person will come out of it right away. >> it's part of an initiative by the city of baltimore to train every resident to help with it. >> this is the equivalent of having defibrillators. everyone have you have the ability to save everyone's life. >> reporter: you say everyone... >> everyone.

>> reporter: almost every day one someone here dies of a drug or alcohol overdose. how would you describe the number of overdoses on the streets of baltimore. >> overdoses reached epidemic proportions, last year 23 people died from >> >> reporter: almost one a day. >> almost one a day. there has been a 23% increase over the previous year. if we had any other disease causing this many deaths, you can imagine if we said ebola is causing 303 deaths. we'd mobilize every resource to address that. >> david was one of the baltimore's addicted. homeless, he was lucky, helped off the streets by a good samar tan. he's in long-term recovery, blaming the spike in overdose deaths on the powerful synthetic opioid fenn

tinnal. >> when fentanal comes in, it's a deadly cocktail. people have have been drug addicts for years - it's stronger than morphine. going straight to the bloodstream, it can take the the most serious heroin agent out. >> it has been called a miracle drug, but can be out of reach for people like dazed that want to save lives. that's because the cost doubled in the past year, leading to huge profits from pharmaceutical companies that make the drug. like amphastar. >> the price increase caught the attention of capital hill. this letter was written to the c.e.o. of amphastar pharmaceuticals this year "the rapid increase in the cost of

this life-saving medication in a short time frame is a considerable health concern." cummings wrote a lawyer to the governor of maryland, the governor and the attorney-general. urging rebates like a handful of other states have begun. >> if new york and other states are getting lower prices for this drug, then maryland should get it too. we cannot let our citizens be overcharged and let the company jeopardise the positive steps take to address the crisis. >> reporter: what response have you got from amy star. >> i'll meet with their lawyer tonight at 6:15. stopped? >> we asked them why they went up on the price from $19 to $41

in a matter of 6-7 months. they gave us some excuses about, you know, the cost going up. and production and asked for documents to back it up. what should the costs me? >> this is a life-saving medication. it can be produced with pennies. it should be a societal obligation to provide for life-saving medication. >> maloxygen can bring a person back to life, but not a livelihood. and it's not a cure for disease. the main thing to look at is a disease. whether they are a bad person, they are suffering from a life. >> how are you doing now? >> my life is good. no matter what i get in my life.

people get here, helping me to give back, and help sun else. -- someone else. >> a reword he hopes to share with others, but concerned big pharmaseizes profits, not people that's "america tonight", tell us what you think at aljazeera.com/"america tonight". talk to us on twitter or facebook and come back. we'll have more of "america tonight" tomorrow. >> al jazeera's investigative unit has tonight's exclusive report. >> stories that have impact. that make a difference. that open your world. >> this... is what we do. >> america tonight. tuesday through friday 10:00 eastern. only on al jazeera america.

the greek parliament debates a bailout deal meant to prevent the country's economy from collapsing. hello, this is al jazerra live from doha. also ahead. celebrations on the streets of teheran after historic nuclear deal between iran and six world powers is announced. protests in the japanese parliament as legislation that could allowed troops to fight abroad is introduce today