US stance on Iran remains unchanged after prisoner swap: Blinken
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The Secretary of State said he spoke with the families of some of the detainees who are now on house arrest.
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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at a press briefing on August 15, 2023 (screengrab)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday that the US approach to Iran has remained the same after the two countries agreed on the release of five US spies.
The Secretary of State said he spoke with the families of some of the detainees who are now on house arrest.
The prisoners' transfer to house arrest was "just the beginning of a process that I hope and expect will lead to their return home to the United States," Blinken said.
This comes as earlier reports said that Iran has agreed to release five US spies in exchange for the US unfreezing $6 billion in assets.
"Nothing about our overall approach to Iran has changed," Blinken said. "We continue to pursue a strategy of deterrence, pressure and diplomacy."
"In any instance where we would engage in such efforts to bring Americans home from Iran, Iran’s own funds would be used and transferred to restricted accounts such that the monies can only be used for humanitarian purposes, which, as you know, is permitted under our sanctions," Blinken said on Thursday.
"There’s an exemption for humanitarian that’s there from the start."
Reports on Iran slowing pace of nuclear program unconfirmed
On another note, the US Secretary of State said that the US would be receptive to the idea of Iran reducing its nuclear program.
However, the matter would be considered separately from the ongoing prisoner release agreement, he noted.
"I can’t confirm the reports that you’ve cited," Blinken said as he answered a question about reports that Iran has slowed the pace at which it is accumulating enriched uranium.
"What I can say is of course we would welcome any steps that Iran takes to actually deescalate the growing nuclear threat that it has posed since the United States got out of the Iran nuclear agreement."
Blinken further noted that there is still no agreement between the US and Iran on nuclear matters at present.
The prisoner release agreement has no relation whatsoever to the nuclear negotiations, he added, noting that the White House's opposition to Iran developing nuclear weapons continues to be steadfast.
Read more: Iran to have access to $6.7 billion of its IMF funds
Last Thursday, the New York Times reported that the US reached an agreement with Iran to release unlawfully frozen assets of Iranian oil revenue in exchange for the release of five individuals carrying dual US-Iranian citizenship imprisoned by the Islamic Republic on charges of spying for foreign "hostile states"
The United States will also release a number of Iranian prisoners as part of the deal, the news outlet said citing sources, adding that the agreement, which took shape in the past few months, was mediated by Oman, Qatar, and Switzerland and is awaiting logistical preparations.
Iranian Tasnim News Agency confirmed that a deal was reached, whereby "American prisoners will be released in exchange for the release of Iranian funds frozen in South Korean banks estimated at $6 billion."
However, the Iranian agency cited informed sources as saying that the American prisoners will not be released before Iran's frozen funds in South Korea are transferred to Qatar.
On its part, IRNA said, citing an informed source, that the deal calls for the release of five American prisoners in exchange for the release of 5 Iranian prisoners in the United States and $6 billion of Iranian funds frozen in South Korea.
The Iranian agency indicated that "a large part of the released Iranian funds will be deposited in the Iraqi TBI Bank," pointing out that the first stages of the process of releasing Iranian funds in European banks have already begun.
IRNA also revealed that Iran's frozen assets in South Korea will be transferred, after their release, to a bank in Switzerland, and from there to Qatar.
Moreover, Iran's mission at the United Nations confirmed Thursday the transfer of American prisoners out of Tehran's Evin prison, state media reported.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran's mission at the United Nations confirmed the news of the release of dual-citizen prisoners from Tehran's Evin Prison," IRNA reported.
It said their release was secured through an agreement mediated "by a third party", with each side "granting amnesty and releasing five prisoners."
Read more: Assets to be immediately and fully available to Iran: Iranian advisor
