A plane carrying five Americans released by Iran arrived in the United States today, Tuesday, one day after they were exchanged for five Iranians held in the US and the release of $6 billion of Iranian funds. CNN reported that the released individuals have indeed arrived.
The implementation process began yesterday, Monday, with the transfer of funds that had been held in South Korea, via Switzerland, to banks in Doha. After confirming the transfer, a Qatari plane carrying the five American prisoners, along with two of their relatives from Tehran, took off. At the same time, two of the five Iranian prisoners arrived in Doha on their way back to their home country, while the other three chose not to return to Iran.
The agreement resolves a point of contention between the United States, which considers Iran a "state sponsor of terrorism," and Tehran, which labels Washington as the "greatest Satan." However, it remains unclear whether this will bring the two adversaries closer regarding other issues such as the Iranian nuclear program, Iran's support for armed groups in the region, the US military presence in the Gulf, and US sanctions.
Among the released Americans are dual nationals Siamak Namazi (51) and Emad Sharghi (59), both businesspeople, as well as environmental activist Morad Tahbaz (67), who also holds British citizenship. The identities of the other two have not been disclosed.
