DUBAI: Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson expressed confidence on Monday that a prisoner exchange with the United States is imminent. The spokesperson also indicated that Iran’s frozen assets of $6 billion in South Korea would soon be released.
However, Nasser Kanaani clarified that these two matters were not interrelated. According to insider information reported by Reuters last week, the transfer of Iranian funds to Qatari banks this week could set in motion a carefully planned series of events, potentially resulting in the release of up to five detained American dual nationals from Iran and a similar number of Iranian prisoners held in the United States returning to Iran.
In an initial move on August 10, Iran released four US citizens from Tehran’s Evin prison to house arrest, where they joined a fifth individual who was already under house arrest. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken characterized this development as the initial stage of a process that would ultimately lead to their repatriation.
Source: Reuters