DUBAI, September 18. /TASS/. An airplane carrying five Americans and two members of their families has left Iran as part of a prisoner swap deal between the countries, Reuters reported, citing a source.

The Qatari ambassador to Iran is accompanying the US nationals onboard the Qatari plane, according to the report.

Iran’s Press TV reported that two of the five released Iranians had already arrived in the Qatari capital.

Earlier, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said Iran and the US would exchange prisoners on September 18. He said the sides will release five prisoners each. According to the spokesman, two of the Iranian citizens released by the US will return to the Iran, two others will stay in the US and one more will go to a third country. In exchange, Tehran will hand over to the US five US nationals that were held in Iranian prisons.