Iran-US prisoner swap likely set in motion as $6 billion of once-frozen Iranian assets reaches Qatar

Iran and the United States volition speech prisoners connected Monday aft immoderate $6 cardinal erstwhile frozen successful South Korea reached Qatar, a cardinal constituent of the planned swap, officials said.

The planned speech comes conscionable up of the United Nations General Assembly successful New York, wherever Iran’s hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi volition speak.

However, the swap won’t mean that tensions person been lowered betwixt the US and Iran, which present enriches uranium person than ever to weapons-grade levels.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani was the archetypal to admit the swap would instrumentality spot Monday. He said the currency sought for the speech was present successful Qatar.

An idiosyncratic with nonstop cognition of the deal, who spoke to The Associated Press connected information of anonymity fixed the speech had yet to beryllium concluded, aboriginal said that some Iranian and US officials had been notified by Qatar that the wealth had been transferred from Switzerland into the Gulf Arab nation.

Emad Shargi – 1 of 5 US citizens presently imprisoned successful Tehran Evin prison.Shargi Family Handout

Kanaani made his comments during a quality league aired connected authorities television, but the provender chopped instantly aft his remarks without explanation.

“We witnessed freezing of parts Iranian assets successful immoderate countries including South Korea,” Kanaani said.

“As portion of our argumentation of progressive overseas diplomacy, fortunately, Iran’s frozen assets successful South Korea were released and God consenting contiguous the assets volition commencement to beryllium afloat controlled by the authorities and the nation.”

British-Iranian environmentalists Morad Tahbaz and Roxanne Tahbaz airs successful this record representation obtained from societal media. ROXANNE TAHBAZ via REUTERS

“On the taxable of the captive swap, it volition hap today, and 5 prisoners, citizens of the Islamic Republic, volition beryllium released from the prisons successful the US,” Kanaani added.

“Five imprisoned citizens who were successful Iran volition beryllium fixed to the US broadside reciprocally, based connected their will. We expect these 2 issues afloat instrumentality spot based connected the agreement.”

He said 2 of the Iranian prisoners volition enactment successful the US.

Siamak Namazi is seen posing successful an undated photo. Twitter/Freethenamzis

Iranian quality agencies instantly afterward reported, quoting Kanaani, that the captive swap would beryllium done connected Monday. There was nary different accusation instantly released by the agencies and Washington did not admit the comments.

However, a Qatar Airways Airbus A320 landed connected Monday greeting astatine Mehrabad International Airport successful Tehran, wherever erstwhile captive releases person taken place, according to flight-tracking information analyzed by the AP. Qatar Airways uses Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport for its commercialized flights.

The announcement by Kanaani comes weeks aft Iran said that 5 Iranian-Americans are present nether location apprehension arsenic portion of a confidence-building determination portion Seoul allowed the frozen assets, held successful South Korean won, to beryllium converted into euros.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi walks during the authoritative farewell ceremonial for his travel to New York, astatine Mehrabad Airport successful Tehran, Iran, connected Sept. 18, 2023. via REUTERS

That wealth was past sent to Qatar, an interlocutor betwixt Tehran and Washington successful the negotiations.

The planned swap has unfolded amid a large American subject buildup successful the Persian Gulf, with the anticipation of US troops boarding and guarding commercialized ships successful the Strait of Hormuz, done which 20% of each lipid shipments pass.

The woody has besides already opened President Joe Biden to caller disapproval from Republicans and others who accidental that the medication is helping boost the Iranian system astatine a clip erstwhile Iran poses a increasing menace to US troops and Mideast allies. That could transportation implicit into his reelection run arsenic well.

On the US side, Washington has said the planned swap includes Siamak Namazi, who was detained successful 2015 and was aboriginal sentenced to 10 years successful situation connected internationally criticized spying charges; Emad Sharghi, a task capitalist sentenced to 10 years; and Morad Tahbaz, a British-American conservationist of Iranian descent who was arrested successful 2018 and besides received a 10-year sentence.

US officials person truthful acold declined to place the 4th and 5th prisoners.

The 5 prisoners Iran has said it seeks are mostly held implicit allegedly trying to export worldly to Iran.

President Biden disembarks Air Force One astatine John F. Kennedy International Airport connected Sept. 17, 2023, successful New York City.GC Images

The last dollar magnitude from Seoul could beryllium anyplace betwixt $6 cardinal to $7 billion, depending connected speech rates.

The currency represents wealth South Korea owed Iran — but had not yet paid — for lipid purchased earlier the Trump medication imposed sanctions connected specified transactions successful 2019.

The US maintains that, erstwhile successful Qatar, the wealth volition beryllium held successful restricted accounts and volition lone beryllium capable to beryllium utilized for humanitarian goods, specified arsenic medicine and food.

Neda Shargi, sister of Iranian captive Emad Shargi, hugs erstwhile Syrian hostage Sam Goodwin earlier a quality league with families of Americans presently being held hostage connected May 4, 2022, successful Washington. AP

Those transactions are presently allowed nether American sanctions targeting the Islamic Republic implicit its advancing atomic program.

Iranian authorities officials person mostly concurred with that explanation, though immoderate hard-liners person insisted, without providing evidence, that determination would beryllium nary restrictions connected however Tehran spends the money.

Iran and the US person a past of captive swaps dating backmost to the 1979 US Embassy takeover and hostage situation pursuing the Islamic Revolution.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei attends a ceremonial astatine Imam Khomeini Husseinya to commemorate Arbaeen, successful Tehran, Iran connected Sept. 6, 2023.Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Their astir caller large speech happened successful 2016 erstwhile Iran came to a woody with satellite powers to restrict its atomic programme successful instrumentality for an easing of sanctions.

Four American captives, including Washington Post writer Jason Rezaian, flew location from Iran astatine the time, and respective Iranians successful the US won their freedom. That aforesaid day, President Barack Obama’s medication airlifted $400 cardinal successful currency to Tehran.

Iran has received planetary criticism over its targeting of radical with dual citizenship. The West accuses Iran of utilizing overseas prisoners arsenic bargaining chips, an allegation Tehran rejects.

Negotiations implicit a large captive swap faltered aft then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew America from the atomic woody successful 2018. From the pursuing twelvemonth on, a bid of attacks and vessel seizures attributed to Iran person raised tensions.

Meanwhile, Iran’s atomic programme present enriches person than ever to weapons-grade levels. While the caput of the United Nations’ atomic watchdog has warned that Iran present has capable enriched uranium to nutrient “several” bombs, months much would apt beryllium needed to physique a limb and perchance miniaturize it to enactment it connected a rocket — if Iran decided to prosecute one.

The US quality assemblage has maintained its appraisal that Iran is not pursuing an atomic bomb.

Iran has taken steps successful caller months to settle immoderate issues with the International Atomic Energy Agency. 

But the advances successful its programme person led to fears of a wider determination conflagration arsenic Israel, itself a atomic power, has said it would not let Tehran to make the bomb. Israel bombed some Iraq and Syria to halt their atomic programs, giving the menace much value arsenic it besides is suspected successful carrying retired a bid of killings targeting Iran’s atomic scientists.

Iran besides supplies Russia with the bomb-carrying drones Moscow uses to people sites successful Ukraine successful its warfare connected Kyiv, which remains different large quality betwixt Tehran and Washington.