Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani also confirmed today (September 18) that the money, which had been frozen in South Korea, would be owned by Iran thanks to the intermediary Qatar. Meanwhile, the US has not commented on the information.
“Both sides were informed by Qatar that the entire $6 billion had been transferred from Switzerland to a bank account in Qatar,” a source briefed on the matter told Reuters.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani at a press conference in July 2022
"A Qatari plane is waiting in Iran to take five US citizens who are about to be released and two relatives to Doha on the morning of September 18 (local time)," the source added.
Under the agreement, the five US citizens were expected to leave Tehran and travel to Qatar's capital Doha, from where they would fly to the US.
In return, five Iranians detained in the US will be released. A spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry said two will be repatriated, while two others will remain in the US at their own discretion. The remaining member of the group will be reunited with family in a third country.
The prisoner swap, first announced on August 10, would remove a major source of discord between Washington and Tehran, although the two sides remain deeply at odds over issues including Iran's nuclear program and the increased US presence in the Middle East.
The South Korean Foreign Ministry also said on August 19 that it was working with the parties on the agreement to ensure all procedures go smoothly and "the issue will be resolved once and for all."
Relations between Washington and Tehran deteriorated in 2018, after then-US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal and increased sanctions on the country.
According to CNN, $6 billion in funds have been frozen in South Korea, which used to be a major oil customer of Iran, after Washington imposed financial sanctions that froze transactions.
The release of the Iranian money has drawn criticism from Republicans in the US, who say President Joe Biden is effectively paying ransom to citizens. The White House has defended the decision.
Iran accuses Israel of plotting to sabotage missiles
Source link
![[Photo] Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chairs Government Conference with localities on economic growth](https://vstatic.vietnam.vn/vietnam/resource/IMAGE/2025/2/21/f34583484f2643a2a2b72168a0d64baa)
Comment (0)