Five Americans, two Iranians freed in prisoner swap deal land in home countries: Reports

A plane carrying five Americans freed by Iran landed in the US on Tuesday (September 19) while two of the five Iranians exchanged in the prisoner swap deal have landed in the Islamic Republic, reports said.

This comes a day after a controversial prisoner swap involving the unfreezing of at least $6 billion of Iranian money by US President Joe Biden’s administration. 

The five detainees Emad Shargi, Morad Tahbaz and Siamak Namazi, along with two Americans who have not been publicly named arrived near Washington DC a day after being flown out of Tehran on a Qatari government jet to Doha, according to American media reports. 

“The nightmare is finally over,” said Babak Namazi, speaking with his arm around his returning brother Siamak at Fort Belvoir in the US state of Virginia, as per Reuters. 

Prisoners swapped

Tehran and Washington had agreed to swap five prisoners each. The swap comes after months of Qatar-mediated talks and took place after the US and Iran received confirmation that the funds, blocked in South Korea, had been transferred to accounts in Doha.

The deal brokered by Qatar was agreed upon after at least a reported eight rounds of talks over several months between Iran and the US as they continue to remain at odds over a number of issues.  

ALSO READ | US and Iran swap prisoners after Qatar-brokered deal unfreezes $6 billion of Iranian oil money

After the transfer of funds was confirmed, the five American prisoners plus two relatives took off on a Qatari plane from Tehran. 

Iran's Press TV reported that two out of the five Iranians to be released in the exchange landed in Doha on Monday (Sep 18) and are on their way to Tehran. 

Two other Iranians released would stay in the US at their request and one detainee would join his family in a third country, according to Iranian officials. 

What was the deal about?

The $6 billion frozen in South Korea had been generated by Iran through oil sales to Seoul. It was stuck after the US under former president Donald Trump reimposed sanctions as he withdrew from a landmark nuclear accord of 2015. 

On Monday, US President Joe Biden welcomed the return of the American prisoners back home “after enduring years of agony, uncertainty, and suffering,” and also announced a fresh round of sanctions against Iran. 

ALSO READ | Freed American calls on Biden to end Iran’s ‘vile path’ of keeping foreigners imprisoned

"We will continue to impose costs on Iran for their provocative actions in the region," said the US president.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who was in New York for the annual United Nations General Assembly, called the swap a humanitarian action.

He added, "It can certainly be a step based upon which in the future other humanitarian actions can be taken."

(With inputs from agencies)

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