Tehran, 4 October 2022 (TDI): Iran and the United States (US) reached a prisoner exchange agreement that also includes the unfreezing of Iranian funds abroad on Tuesday.
Reportedly, four people held in Iran will be released under the agreement, in exchange for the release of four people held in the United States.
The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported on Sunday that a prisoner swap deal has been finalized between Tehran and Washington.
However, the name of the Iranian(s) who are expected to be released was not mentioned in the Iranian media.
On a phone call with UN General-Secretory, António Guterres, President Raisi said that the release of Iranian-American prisoners was proof of Iran’s good faith.
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Siamak Namazi
The News about the prisoner exchange deal circulated following the release of an Iranian-American hostage, Siamak Namazi.
Siamak Namazi was released from Tehran’s Evin prison in a one-week renewable furlough. On espionage-related charges, he had been detained in Iran for almost seven years.
On Saturday, Siamak Namazi received temporary parole while his father, Baquer Namazi, a former UN employee who was also found guilty of espionage in 2016, was given permission to go outside of Iran for medical care.
US response to the Iran deal
The United States issued a statement about Namazis, on Saturday. Reportedly, the deal is the result of intensive negotiations in recent weeks with the help of mediation of regional countries.
These countries are Switzerland, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and the United Kingdom. The deal is about the simultaneous release of Iranian and American prisoners.
Impact of the prisoner exchange deal
The issue of prisoners has been one of the key points in Vienna nuclear talks, with Tehran repeatedly asking Washington not to relate the issue with the ongoing nuclear deal.
Iran had earlier claimed that the $7 billion would be freed in exchange for the release of three American dual citizens.
Iran’s economy was once again subject to the most severe sanctions after the Trump administration unilaterally withdrew from the JCPOA deal.
One of the negative consequences of these sanctions was the blocking of seven billion dollars of money from the sale of Iranian oil in two South Korean banks.
In addition, Iran has frequently demanded the release of the $7 billion that Seoul is allegedly holding “hostage.”
Iran has managed to release seven billion dollars of its blocked money to South Korea through extra-JCPOA negotiations in Vienna. The Iranian or US authorities are yet to confirm the deal.
To note that, Nuclear negotiations since April 2021 between Tehran and Washington are in process. The recent deal, as per the reports, can have accelerating positive impacts on the Tehran-Washington Nuclear deal.
