Garett Ginner, the lawyer representing one of the American citizens detained in Iran, noted today, Thursday, that five American citizens have left Evin Prison in Tehran and are currently under house arrest. Ginner, who represents Siamak Namazi, stated that the Iranian Americans include businessmen Namazi (51 years old) and Emad Sharqi (58 years old), as well as environmental advocate Morad Tahbaz (67 years old), who also holds British citizenship. The identities of the fourth American citizen who was allowed to leave prison and the fifth citizen already under house arrest have not been disclosed.
On the other hand, an informed source confirmed that Iran will allow the detained Americans to leave the country after unfreezing $6 billion of Iranian funds in South Korea. It may take weeks, possibly extending into September, for the Americans transferred from Evin Prison to leave Iran. The source mentioned that Iran will not receive immediate benefits from transferring American citizens and placing them under house arrest, considering this step as "the first step in a process that may culminate in their departure from Iran." In return, five Iranian detainees in America will be released under an agreement between Washington and Tehran.
Adrian Watson, spokesperson for the National Security Council, announced that they have received confirmation that Iran has released five Americans who were unjustly detained and placed them under house arrest. She added that these five citizens should not have been held in the first place. The spokesperson confirmed that negotiations are ongoing for their final release, describing the situation as "delicate," and indicating that a possible part of the arrangements may involve transferring Iranian funds from South Korea to other restricted accounts. She stated, "We will not rest until they all return home in the United States." Watson mentioned that the White House has no further announcements because "negotiations for their release are still ongoing and delicate."
For its part, official Iranian media quoted the Iranian mission to the United Nations stating that Iran released individuals with both Iranian and American citizenship from Evin Prison in Tehran today under a prisoner exchange deal between Tehran and Washington. The Islamic Republic News Agency reported, "Under an agreement brokered by a third country, five Iranians imprisoned in the United States will be released and the freeze on Iranian funds in South Korea will be lifted and transferred to Qatar."
