Flight-tracking data analyzed by the AP showed a Qatar Airways flight take off at Tehran's Mehrabad International Airport, which has been used for exchanges...
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Five prisoners sought by the U.S. in a swap with Iran flew out of Tehran on Monday, officials said.
Earlier, officials said that the exchange would take place after nearly $6 billion in once-frozen Iranian assets reached Qatar, a key element of the planned swap. Kanaani made his comments during a news conference aired on state television, but the feed cut immediately after his remarks. A Qatar Airways plane landed Monday morning at Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran, according to flight-tracking data analyzed by the AP. Qatar Airways uses Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport for its commercial flights, but previous prisoner releases have taken place at Mehrabad.
On the U.S. side, Washington has said the planned swap includes Siamak Namazi, who was detained in 2015 and was later sentenced to 10 years in prison on spying charges; Emad Sharghi, a venture capitalist sentenced to 10 years; and Morad Tahbaz, a British-American conservationist of Iranian descent who was arrested in 2018 and also received a 10-year sentence. All of their charges have been widely criticized by their families, activists and the U.S. government.
Iran and the U.S. have a history of prisoner swaps dating back to the 1979 U.S. Embassy takeover and hostage crisis following the Islamic Revolution. Their most recent major exchange happened in 2016, when Iran came to a deal with world powers to restrict its nuclear program in return for an easing of sanctions.
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Iran Says It Plans to Free Five American Prisoners MondayThe expected release comes against the backdrop of efforts by the Biden administration to revive nuclear talks with Iran.
Read more »
Military drone crashes during test flight in Iran, injuring 2State media report that a military drone has crashed during a test flight in northern Iran, wounding two people and damaging buildings.
Read more »
Iran-US prisoner swap: Five detained Americans set to be freed MondayThe Americans include Siamek Namazi, imprisoned for nearly eight years, and Emad Shargi and Morad Tahbaz. The two other Americans haven't been identified.
Read more »
Five Americans detained in Iran expected to be freed Monday, Iranian foreign ministry saysFive Americans who have been imprisoned in Iran are expected to be released Monday as part of a wider US-Iran deal, an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman has said.
Read more »
Five Americans freed in prisoner swap with Iran, official saysRepublicans have blasted the prisoner exchange, which includes the release of $6 billion in frozen Iranian oil revenues, as rewarding Tehran for imprisoning foreign nationals.
Read more »