Iran-US prisoner swap updates: 5 Americans head to US, Iranians also freed

This blog is now closed. Thank you for joining us. These were the updates on the US-Iran prisoner swap on Monday, September 18:

This blog is now closed. Thank you for joining us. These were the updates on the US-Iran prisoner swap on Monday, September 18:

• Iran has released five American citizens as part of a Qatari-mediated prisoner exchange with the United States, which also freed five Iranians.
• The US citizens and two of the five Iranians landed in Qatar’s capital, Doha, before making their way to their own countries. The three other released Iranians were not returning to Iran, with two staying in the US and one going on to a third country.
• Analysts said the swap is an “important first step” but does not point to an imminent thaw in the frosty relations between Iran and the US.
• US President Joe Biden said Siamak Namazi, Morad Tahbaz, Emad Shargi and two other citizens whose identities have not been released “will soon be reunited with their loved ones” in the US.
• The agreement between Tehran and Washington, first made public on August 10, included the release of about $6bn of frozen Iranian money.