TEHRAN: Iran has expressed its hope that indirect talks with the United States could lead to a “positive” outcome regarding a potential prisoner swap.
Earlier this month, Iran announced its engagement in Oman-mediated discussions with its long-standing adversary, the United States, focused on its nuclear deal and the possibility of exchanging prisoners.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman, Nasser Kanani, stated on Monday that negotiations were underway to secure the release of Iranian citizens through trustworthy intermediaries. Kanani emphasized the need to assess whether the American government is prepared to make a final decision in this regard, expressing Tehran’s desire to witness a positive outcome from the talks.
US Citizens Imprisoned in Iran
Among the individuals currently held in Iran are at least three Iranian-Americans. This includes businessman Siamak Namazi, who was arrested in October 2015 and sentenced to 10 years in prison on charges of espionage. The other two detainees are venture capitalist Emad Sharqi, sentenced to 10 years for spying, and Morad Tahbaz, who holds British nationality and was imprisoned for 10 years on charges of conspiring with America.
Over the past two months, Iran has released six European citizens while reclaiming an Iranian diplomat, Assadollah Assadi, who had been convicted of terrorism and imprisoned in Belgium.
Kanani’s remarks follow media reports suggesting that Washington and Tehran were on the verge of reaching an interim agreement to replace the 2015 nuclear accord. Both sides have denied these reports. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), as the accord is known, provided Iran with much-needed sanctions relief in exchange for limitations on its nuclear program. However, the agreement collapsed in 2018 after the unilateral withdrawal of the United States.
Efforts to revive the nuclear deal have faced significant challenges, with intermittent negotiations since April last year failing to produce substantial results. The restoration of diplomatic ties between Tehran and Washington, severed in 1980 following Iran’s Islamic revolution, remains a complex task.
