TEHRAN: Iran has moved five US-Iranian dual nationals from prison to house arrest, marking the first step in the potential prisoner swap deal between Washington and Tehran.
US officials confirmed that Emad Shargi, Siamak Namazi and Morad Tahbaz, who also has a British passport, were released alongside a fourth unidentified man, according to the lawyer for one of the men. A fifth US national had already been released, said a US national security official.
The release is the outcome of the talks between Iran and the US. “While this is an encouraging step, these US citizens… should have never been detained in the first place,” National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said.
“Of course, we will not rest until they are all back home in the United States,” she added.
According to state media, Iran’s mission to the United Nations confirmed the release of dual nationals from Tehran’s Evin prison. It said the deal had been “mediated by a third country” and that as part of it, frozen funds in South Korea would be “unblocked and transferred to Qatar,” Reuters reported citing Iran state news agency IRNA.
According to US media, the Iranian funds frozen in South Korea are worth around $6bn (£4.7bn). Mr Namazi’s brother Babak said: “While this is a positive change, we will not rest until Siamak and others are back home; we continue to count the days until this can happen.”
The 51-year-old was first arrested in 2015 and sentenced to 10 years on security charges.
The sister of Mr Shargi, 58, said she “has faith in the work of President Biden and government officials” to secure his release following his detention in April 2018.
Mr Tahbaz, 67, a businessman and wildlife conservationist, was first arrested during a crackdown on environmental activists in January 2018.
A number of dual nationals have been detained and imprisoned in Iran in recent years, usually on national security charges.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said two of the five people released “wish to remain private”.
He continued: “We are in touch with the families of US citizens involved, and we continue to monitor these individuals’ health and welfare closely.”
Media reports said it could still take several weeks for the US citizens to leave Iran. The New York Times reported that Iranian prisoners in US jails could also be freed under the deal but the White House has not confirmed any details of what it offered to Tehran to secure release of its nationals.
