US and Iran exchange five prisoners, unfreeze $6 billion in Iranian assets | Reuters

[ドーハ／ニューヨーク １８日 ロイター] – The United States and Iran on the 18th released and exchanged five prisoners each was holding after months of talks with Qatar acting as a mediator. Prior to this, approximately $6 billion in Iranian assets that had been frozen in South Korea due to US sanctions were lifted.

According to sources familiar with the matter, five Americans detained in Iran and their relatives departed from Iran on a plane prepared by Qatar after both sides confirmed that Iranian assets had been transferred from South Korea to Qatar. He headed to the United States via Qatar. Iranian officials say the American national is in good health.

Five Iranians detained in the United States were also released at the same time, according to U.S. officials. Two of the released Iranians will return to Iran, two others will remain in the United States at their own request, and one will join his family in a third country, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Qanani said. I thought it was going to happen.

“Finally, five innocent Americans imprisoned in Iran will be brought home,” President Biden said in a statement. He also thanked the governments of Qatar, Oman, Switzerland and South Korea for their cooperation in securing the release.

Iranian President Raisi, who is in New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly, called the prisoner exchange “a purely humanitarian action” and said it was “a step towards future humanitarian actions.”

A senior U.S. government official said the deal does not change the rivalry between the United States and Iran, but it does leave the door open for diplomacy regarding Iran’s nuclear program. He said, “If there is an opportunity, I will explore it, but I have nothing to talk about right now.”

Spokesman Kanani said the unfrozen assets would be available for use as early as the 18th. Under the deal, Qatar will monitor unfrozen Iranian assets to ensure they are used only for humanitarian purposes and not for anything subject to U.S. sanctions.

President Biden announced sanctions on former Iranian President Ahmadinejad and the country’s intelligence ministry for their role in the “unlawful detention” of Americans. In a statement, he said: “We will continue to demand compensation for Iran’s provocative actions.”

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