US-Iran agree for prisoner exchange deal; Know the Americans who will be freed?
Joe Biden’s administration has moved to free five American citizens who were detained in Iran by issuing a waiver for the international banks to transfer $6 billion in frozen Iranian money, from South Korea to Qatar without the fear of American sanctions.
Moreover, as part of the Iran-US prisoner exchange deal, the Biden administration has agreed to release five Iranian citizens who were held in the US. According to The Associated Press, the US Secretary of State Antony Blnken signed off on the sanctions waivers late last week after US and Iranian officials said that the agreement was in place in principle.
Who are the Americans who will be freed in the deal?
The American prisoners who will be freed under the Iran-US prisoner exchange deal include Siamak Namazi, Emad Sharghi, Morad Tahbaz and the other two prisoners were not identified. Namazi was detained in 2015 and received a sentence of 10 years on internationally criticized spying charges. Shargi is reportedly a venture capitalist and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Tahbaz, who is a British-American conservationist of Iranian descent, received a 10-year sentence.
In a statement, Blinken said, “To facilitate their release, the United States has committed to release five Iranian nationals currently held in the United States and to permit the transfer of approximately $6 billion in restricted Iranian funds held in (South Korea) to restricted accounts in Qatar, where the funds will be available only for humanitarian trade”. The Biden administration’s notification marked the first time that it admitted it was released in five Iranian prisoners in the deal. The prisoners have not yet been named.
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Where is Iran?
Iran, officially known as the Islamic Republic of
