White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has stated that the United States and Iran are making progress on a prisoner swap deal. This comes after Iran recently moved five detained US citizens to house arrest.
Sullivan’s remarks on Tuesday were a rare public display of confidence from Washington regarding the likelihood of the prisoner exchange taking place.
“We believe that things are proceeding according to the understanding that we’ve reached with Iran,” Sullivan informed reporters during a conference call.
“I cannot provide an exact timetable because there are still steps that need to be taken. However, we remain confident that the deal is on track.”
Earlier this month, various news outlets reported that the US and Iran were negotiating a deal that would result in the release of the five American citizens in exchange for granting Iran access to $6 billion in frozen funds in South Korea, which were frozen due to US sanctions.
The tentative agreement would also involve the US administration, under President Joe Biden, releasing several Iranian nationals currently imprisoned in the United States.
Source from www.aljazeera.com