C T Online Desk: Five US detainees released by Iran took off for Doha in a prisoner swap Monday, an informed source told AFP, after $6 billion in frozen funds were transferred to Iranian accounts in Qatar.
The five, who include a businessman and a conservationist, and who left Iran on a Qatari plane accompanied by two relatives, were freed in exchange for five Iranians held by the United States.
“A Qatari jet has taken off with the five prisoners and two relatives accompanied by the Qatari ambassador,” a source with knowledge of the situation told AFP.
The trigger for the exchange was the release of the $6 billion in funds, long frozen by US ally South Korea under sanctions against Iran, to the Iranian accounts.
According to Iranian media, two of the freed Iranians have arrived in Doha. The other three have chosen to remain in the United States or a third country, Tehran said.
“We hope to have total access to the Iranian assets today,” Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani had earlier Monday told a Tehran press conference.
“The prisoner exchange will take place on the same day and five Iranian citizens imprisoned in America will be released.”
Iran generated the $6 billion through oil sales to South Korea, which froze the funds after the United States under former president Donald Trump reimposed sanctions as he withdrew from a landmark nuclear accord.
Iran’s central bank governor said Iran would seek damages from South Korea for withholding the funds. The equivalent of 5.57 billion euros ($5.95 billion) was deposited in six Iranian accounts with two Qatari banks on Monday, he said.
“We’re making a complaint on behalf of Iran against South Korea for not giving access to these funds and the reduction in value of these funds in order to receive damages,” Mohammadreza Farzin said on state TV.
– Spying charges –
As the prisoners were released, US President Joe Biden announced sanctions against Iran’s ex-president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the country’s intelligence ministry.
Biden also granted clemency to the five Iranian ex-detainees.
The five Americans — all considered Iranian nationals by Tehran, which rejects dual nationality — were released to house arrest when the deal was agreed last month.
