WASHINGTON, Sept 12 (Reuters) – Five Americans being held in Iran are set to be swapped as early as subsequent week for 5 Iranians jailed within the United States who’re “utterly wholesome”, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi stated on Tuesday.
As a part of the prisoner trade deal, first made public on August 10, the United States agreed to switch $6 billion in Iranian funds from South Korea to an account in Qatar, for use solely for humanitarian support.
The United States stated it could have “oversight” over how and when the funds can be spent.
“These funds might solely be used for humanitarian functions, and we’ll intently monitor how they’re used and reserve the authority to refreeze them if needed,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller informed reporters on Tuesday.
Allowing the 5 Iranian Americans to depart Iran would resolve a significant irritation between Washington and Tehran, who stay at odds over points starting from Iran’s nuclear program to Iran’s assist for regional Shiite militias.
“They are in superb well being and the newest info is that they’re in excellent well being,” Raisi stated in an interview with NBC Nightly News’ Lester Holt recorded in Tehran on Tuesday, the tv station reported.
The State Department stated the 5 Americans included Siamak Namazi, 51, Emad Sharqi, 59, and Morad Tabaz, 67, a British environmental activist, with out revealing the identities of the fourth and fifth Americans.
The 5 Iranians being launched by the US are Mehrdad Moin Ansari, Kambiz Attar Kashani, Reza Sarhanpour Kahrani, Amin Hassanzadeh and Kaveh Afrasiabi, in response to Iran’s state information company IRNA.
“Some of the launched Iranians will stay within the United States whereas others will return house,” IRNA stated, citing Iran’s UN mission.
The prisoner swap might happen as quickly as subsequent week, in response to eight Iranian and different folks acquainted with the deal, which was negotiated in oblique talks between the United States and Iran mediated by Qatar.
White House nationwide safety spokesman John Kirby informed MSNBC that the US plans to securely return the 5 Americans “within the very close to future”, however didn’t give a selected date.
“The preparations have been made and the ultimate steps of the prisoner trade ought to be accomplished inside the timeframe,” Raisi informed NBC, in response to excerpts printed by the broadcaster.
Raisi appeared to acknowledge that the $6 billion can be used solely for humanitarian functions, however stated Iran would resolve how the cash can be spent.
“This cash belongs to the Iranian folks and the Iranian authorities, so the Islamic Republic of Iran will resolve what to do with this cash,” Raisi stated within the interview, talking by way of an Iranian authorities translator.
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Reporting by Arshad Mohammed in Washington; Additional reporting by Rami Ayyub and Daphne Psarredakis in Washington, Parisa Hafeji and Samia Nakhoul in Dubai; Editing by Timothy Gardner and Rosalba O’Brien
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