Joe Biden. Andrew Harnik/AP
The Iran-US relationship
Biden has pardoned Iranian citizens in the prisoner exchange
US President Joe Biden has pardoned five Iranian prisoners from their prison terms, reports AFP.
The pardon is part of the prisoner exchange between Iran and the United States. The news comes shortly after the United States confirmed that five Americans detained by Iran have been released.
In addition to the Iranian citizens, Iran will have access to six billion dollars in frozen assets.
A high-ranking American official tells AFP that Biden is also expected to introduce sanctions against Iran's intelligence minister and against the country's former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
A mural shows one of the captured Americans, Siamak Namazi, on the left. Patrick Semansky / AP
Five released Americans are said to be on their way to the United States
According to information provided to Returers, the release of five American prisoners in Iran has begun.
According to the news agency's sources, a plane has taken off from Tehran airport and on board are the Americans, two relatives and Qatar's ambassador to Iran. The plane will land in Qatar before the Americans are taken to the United States.
The BBC described the exchange as "complex and controversial". The release is said to be part of a broader agreement between the US and Iran.
In exchange for the releases, Iran gets access to 6 billion dollars in frozen assets, corresponding to roughly 66 billion kroner, writes TT. According to Bloomberg, five Iranian citizens will also be simultaneously released in the United States.
- God willing, the assets today will be fully controlled by the government and the nation, says Nasser Kanaani, who is a spokesperson for Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Iran hopes to have access to the funds on Monday
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