Under the agreement between the US and Iran, $6 billion in Iranian funds that had been held in restricted accounts in South Korea was transferred to restricted accounts in banks in Qatar. Iranian and US officials were notified by Qatar on Monday that the transfer had taken place, according to a source briefed on details of the matter.
Five Americans, whom the US had designated as wrongfully detained in Iran, have been freed and have landed in Doha, Qatar, before flying to the United States later on Monday. Follow the latest news here.
The US will issue new sanctions against Iran following the release of the five Americans. They will target Tehran’s Ministry of Intelligence (MOIS) and former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, senior administration officials said.
US President Joe Biden celebrated the return of five Americans the US considered wrongfully detained by Iran “after enduring years of agony, uncertainty, and suffering.”