The release of frozen Iranian assets is a key condition for Tehran for a prisoner exchange with the USA. Now the US government has apparently allowed the billions to be transferred.
The agreement has not yet been finalized, but according to information from the Washington Post and the Reuters news agency, the USA and Iran are on the verge of a major prisoner exchange.
As a US document quoted by the media shows, a first step is to allow the US to release frozen Iranian assets. The approximately six billion US dollars (5.58 billion euros) are in accounts in South Korea and have not yet been able to be transferred due to US sanctions. With an exemption, banks could now forward this money – although not immediately, but rather to accounts in Qatar.
As the media continues to report, Secretary of State Antony Blinken signed the exemption at the end of last week, but did not inform Congress about it until Monday. This means that one of Tehran’s key prerequisites for the upcoming exchange has been fulfilled. Blinken emphasized that the billions may only be used for humanitarian purposes and not for military purposes.
Five prisoners each are apparently set to be released
In return, Iran is expected to release five American citizens who were until recently detained and then transferred to house arrest. Iranians imprisoned in the USA should also be released as a result of the deal. The Washington Post wrote that the plan was to release five people. However, work is still ongoing on the details of the agreement.
The transfer of the money and the prisoner exchange could take place as early as next week, reports Reuters, citing insiders.
Objections to the deal
US citizens in Iranian custody include businessman Siamak Namazi, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for espionage in 2016, businessman Emad Sharghi, imprisoned since 2018, and environmental activist Morad Tahbaz. All three also have Iranian citizenship, Tahbaz also has British citizenship. For its part, Iran has been trying for years to free a dozen compatriots imprisoned in the USA, some of whom are also citizens of both countries.
There have already been objections to the possible swap deal. Critics in the US fear that Tehran will ultimately be able to use the billions of dollars for military purposes.
With information from Sebastian Hesse, ARD Studio Washington