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Tehran, Washington to exchange prisoners on five-for-five basis on September 18

"Iran's assets frozen in South Korea will be handed over to the government and nation today," Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanani Chafi reported

DUBAI, September 18. /TASS/. Iran and the US will carry out a prisoner swap on Monday, September 18, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanani Chafi reported.

"Iran's assets [frozen] in South Korea will be handed over to the government and nation today," Iran's ISNA news agency quoted the diplomat as saying. "A prisoner swap will take place today," the diplomat added. He specified that each side would release five prisoners.

According to Kanani Chafi, two of the Iranian nationals released in the US will return to the country; two others will remain in the US, while the last will go to a third country. In exchange, Tehran will hand over to the American side five US citizens held in Iranian prisons.

On August 10, the New York Times reported that the US and Iran had reached an agreement on a prisoner swap. On the same day, the White House confirmed the agreement, but urged that the deal’s completion not be announced until all Americans returned from the country.

On September 14, Bloomberg reported, citing sources, that September 18 was the most likely date for the prisoner swap. On September 15, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said in a telephone conversation with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani that Tehran was ready to fulfill the terms of the agreement with Washington. The Qatari leader, in turn, said that the process of transferring Iranian assets to the emirate's banks would be completed next week. According to the Tasnim news agency, the prisoner swap will take place in Doha after Iran gets access to its assets.

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