Prisoner exchange between Iran and the United States

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kenani announced that 5 American citizen prisoners will be released today.

At his weekly news conference in the capital Tehran, Kenani made remarks about the planned prisoner exchange between the United States and Iran. Kenani said: “Five Iranian citizens detained in US prisons will be released today in exchange for five detained US citizens.”

Regarding where the Iranian citizens will go if they are released, Kenani said: “Two citizens return to Iran of their own free will and desire, one person goes to his family in a third country and two citizens want to stay in the United States.”

Kenani added that Iranian assets blocked in South Korea will also be transferred today.

It was shared in American and Iranian media news that the two countries would exchange prisoners in exchange for the release of the 6 billion Iranian dollars frozen in South Korea. The White House confirmed on August 10 that five US citizens detained in Iran were released from prison and placed under house arrest.

Deputy Foreign Minister and Chief Iranian Negotiator Ali Bakıri also drew attention to the developments in negotiations with the US regarding the prisoner exchange and noted that Iran’s frozen assets and many Iranian citizens detained in the US would be liberated.

The president of the Central Bank of Iran, Mohammad Reza Farzin, announced on August 12 that the blockade on frozen assets in South Korea had been lifted. (AA)