ALBAWABA - The long-awaited prisoner swap between the United States and Iran is expected to happen as soon as the U.S. unlocks the $6 billion in Iranian funds frozen in South Korea.
Five Americans, who have been held captive by the Iranian Authorities, are expected to fly home as part of a prisoner swap deal mediated by Qatar. The deal involves a total of 10 people to be included in the agreement.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani spoke at a press conference and said: "Iran expected the funds, which were frozen under U.S. sanctions and are to be used only for humanitarian purposes, to be transferred from accounts in South Korea to accounts in Qatar".
"We hope to have total access to the Iranian assets today. The prisoner exchange will take place on the same day and five Iranian citizens imprisoned in America will be released," Kanaani told reporters at a Tehran press conference.
The list of prisoners includes 51-year-old Siamak Namazi; 59-year-old businessman Emad Shargi; and 67-year-old environmentalist Morad Tahbaz, who also holds British citizenship.
In mid-August, Kanaani said that a specific time frame has been announced by relevant authorities, and the swap will take a maximum of two months for this process to take place.
Tehran and Washington reached an agreement under which five US Americans detained in Iran would be released in exchange for the release of $6 billion in Iranian assets frozen in South Korea.
Iranian assets that had been frozen in South Korea were transferred last week to Switzerland's central bank for exchange and transfer to Iran, according to South Korean media on Monday.
The Swiss National Bank plans to exchange its $6 billion holdings in won for dollars and then euros in the currency market, converting about 300 billion won ($223.85 million) to 400 billion each day for the next five weeks, Yonhap Infomax reported, citing an unnamed currency market source.
According to Iranian media, Washington would also release certain Iranians detained in the United States. According to a lawyer for one of the detainees, Iran authorized four US citizens to be sent to house arrest from Tehran's Evin jail. A fifth was already being held at home.
