In a rare agreement mediated by Qatar between the bitter rivals, five American prisoners were exchanged for five Iranian prisoners jailed in the United States on Monday and $6 billion in frozen Iranian cash was also unfrozen.
Shortly after the U.S. and Iran received confirmation that the money had been transferred to accounts in Doha, a Qatari plane left Tehran carrying the five along with two of their families, according to Reuters.
Two of the five Iranians who would be released in the exchange have arrived in Doha. Although Iranian officials said three of those who would be released by the U.S. would not be going back to Iran, there was no independent confirmation of this.
The transfer of the funds sparked an exchange sequence that the United States and Iran, which are at odds over Tehran's nuclear ambitions and other concerns, had agreed upon after months of negotiations.
The five dual-national Americans are scheduled to go to Doha before continuing on to the United States. An Iranian official who was briefed on the situation said, "They are in good health."
Nasser Kanaani, a spokesman for Iran's foreign ministry, stated that two of the Iranians being released would go back to their country, while two would stay in the United States at their own option. He stated that one detainee will visit his family in a different nation.
After U.S. sanctions against Iran were tightened in 2018, Kanaani claimed the funds, which had been stopped in South Korea, would be made accessible to Tehran on Monday. As per the agreement, Qatar would make sure the money is used for humanitarian causes rather than those that are prohibited by American sanctions.
Read also: US, Iran Agree to Prisoner Swap in Exchange for Release of $6 Billion Frozen Iranian Funds
Ending the Friction Between the US and Iran
The agreement will end a significant source of friction between Iran and the United States, which labels Washington as the "Great Satan" and accuses Tehran of supporting terrorism.
On other topics, however, such as American sanctions and the American military presence in the Gulf, Iran's nuclear program, and its influence throughout the region, they are still sharply split.
Qatar, a tiny but incredibly wealthy Gulf Arab energy producer, has worked to increase its international visibility by hosting the World Cup of soccer last year and establishing a position in world diplomacy. Although it is a Sunni Muslim country, it has developed strong links with Iran, a Shi'ite Muslim country.
At least eight rounds of negotiations between Iranian and American negotiators took place in Doha.
US Expressed Disapproval of the Transfer
The United States has expressed disapproval of the transfer of Iran's funds under the agreement. Republicans claim that Democratic President Joe Biden is essentially paying a ransom for American citizens. The arrangement has been defended by the White House.
Siamak Namazi, 51, and Emad Sharqi, 59, both businesspeople, and Morad Tahbaz, 67, an environmentalist with dual British and American citizenship, are among the dual citizens of the United States who will be freed. They were placed under home arrest after being freed from prison last month.
A fifth American was already under house arrest and a fourth American was freed and placed under house arrest. Their identities remain a secret.
The five Iranians who will be freed by the United States are Mehrdad Moin-Ansari, Kambiz Attar-Kashani, Reza Sarhangpour-Kafrani, Amin Hassanzadeh, and Kaveh Afrasiabi. Afrasiabi would continue to reside in the United States, according to two Iranian officials, but no additional officials were cited.
Since Donald Trump, a Republican, pulled the United States out of a nuclear agreement between Iran and major powers in 2018 when he was president, relations between Washington and Tehran have been on the boil. Since then, efforts to reach another nuclear agreement have not made much progress as Biden gears himself for the 2024 presidential election.
Washington lifted sanctions as part of the agreement to permit the movement of $6 billion in Iranian funds from South Korea to Qatar. When Washington slapped broad financial sanctions on Tehran, the money could not be transferred and was instead blocked in South Korea, which is typically one of Iran's biggest oil clients.
