It was unclear whether the exchange might bring progress on the many issues that divide the two nations, including Iran’s nuclear program.
Five Iranians in US were freed, three will not return to Iran.US Secretary of State Antony Blinken leaves door to nuclear diplomacy.A US-bound plane carrying five Americans freed by Iran left Doha on Monday as part of a prisoner swap for five Iranians held in the United States and the transfer of $US6 billion in Iranian funds, marking a rare deal between the long-time antagonists.
Separately, Iran’s state-owned Press TV said the five Iranians held by the United States and charged with committing crimes had been freed, an apparent reference to their being granted clemency, and that two of them had landed in Tehran.“This was purely a humanitarian action,” Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said after arriving in New York for the annual UN General Assembly. “It can certainly be a step based upon which in the future other humanitarian actions can be taken.
“In this moment, we’re not engaged on that, but we’ll see in the future if there are opportunities,” he told reporters in New York.“The prisoner swap does likely pave the way for additional diplomacy around the nuclear program this fall, although the prospect for actually reaching a deal is very remote,” said Henry Rome of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.“Removing an irritant is different from adding a salve,” said Jon Alterman of the Centre of Strategic and International Studies.
Qatar mediated indirect US-Iran talks on the detainees while Switzerland, which represents US interests in Tehran because the United States and Iran do not diplomatic relations, helped with the transfer of funds from South Korea to Qatar. “I am very concerned that this $US6 billion hostage deal incentivises future hostage-taking,” McCaul said in an emailed statement. “There is no question this deal will free up funds for Iran’s malign activities.”
One of the five freed Americans had been held for about eight years on charges Washington rejected as baseless.
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