Tehran, Monday evening – Iranian Press TV reported that on Monday, two Iranian citizens who had been detained in the United States were released and safely arrived in Tehran. This development comes in the wake of a prisoner exchange between Iran and the United States, facilitated by Qatar’s mediation.
In this exchange, Iran granted the release of five American prisoners as part of a bilateral agreement. A spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry disclosed that only two of the former detainees opted to return to the United States, while the other two chose to remain in the country at their own request. Additionally, another released prisoner decided to reunite with their family in a third nation.
As a significant component of this agreement, Tehran is set to gain access to $6 billion in frozen assets earmarked for humanitarian purposes. Notably, these funds, originating from Iranian accounts frozen in South Korea, are to be deposited into an account held at a Qatari bank.
The U.S. State Department subsequently clarified that the released funds belong to Iran and are to be exclusively utilized for humanitarian endeavors. The United States will oversee the allocation of these resources to ensure they are directed towards humanitarian causes.
Monday’s development saw previously frozen Iranian assets successfully transferred to Qatari bank accounts, marking the culmination of a swap agreement negotiated between Tehran and Washington. This exchange was a prerequisite set by Iran for the release of the American detainees.