UK and US citizen among five prisoners to be released by Iran

Morad Tahbaz is set to be released from Iran's Evin Prison, which is notorious for holding political prisoners in terrible conditions. Photo: Jamie Lorriman

The United States has approved the transfer of $6 billion (£4.8 billion) to Tehran for the release of five US citizens, including a British-American, in a major deal that could ease tensions with the regime.

US President Joe Biden on Monday issued a waiver that will allow international banks to transfer frozen Iranian funds that can only be spent on humanitarian aid back to Tehran without being subject to sanctions.

The deal, which would also allow the release of five Iranians in US custody, was agreed last month but now appears to be moving forward as funds become imminent.

An American is among the prisoners released by Iran Iranian-born Morad Tahbaz is a 67-year-old environmentalist who also has British citizenship.

He and four other detainees were being held in Iran's Evin prison, which is notorious for holding political prisoners in squalid conditions.

p>Dual citizens and diplomats were persecuted

Mr Tahbaz was arrested in 2018 and sentenced to 10 years in prison on charges of “assembling and conspiring against the national security of Iran” and spying for Iran. US.

Iran often jails dual citizens such as Iranians, Britons or Americans on dubious espionage charges to use them as leverage in international negotiations.

Emad Sharghi is one of the prisoners who will be released from custody in Iran

The regime also targets diplomats such as Johan Floderus, the Swedish and EU envoy who has been held captive in Iran for about 500 days. He was arrested in April 2022 on espionage charges, but Swedish and EU authorities only recently cracked the case.

Two other American prisoners involved in the deal have been identified as Siamak Namazi, 51, and Emad Sharghi. 58 years old.

Funds are used only for humanitarian purposes

Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, decided that the release According to a State Department document detailing the agreement, freezing funds to secure the release of the prisoners was in the interests of US national security.

“To facilitate their release, the United States has committed to the release of five Iranian citizens currently detained in the United States, and to authorize the transfer of approximately $6 billion of Iranian funds held in closed accounts in the (Republic of Korea) to closed accounts in Qatar.

The document emphasizes that the funds can only be used for humanitarian purposes, meaning that they will provide limited benefit to Iran.

The document emphasizes that the funds can only be used for humanitarian purposes, meaning that they will bring limited benefit to Iran.

The document emphasizes that the funds can only be used for humanitarian purposes.

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“Authorizing the transfer of these funds from limited Iranian accounts, located in (the Republic of Korea) into accounts in Qatar for humanitarian trade is necessary to facilitate the release of these U.S. citizens,” it said.

In addition to the problem that some countries call “hostage diplomacy,” tensions have increased between Iran, the United States and key ally Israel over Tehran's nuclear program.

The program appears to be nearing completion. about the bomb, and although Iran categorically denies building nuclear weapons, Israel has repeatedly threatened to take direct military action.