Prisoner Swap Imminent: Iran and US Reach Agreement via Qatar Mediation

Iran and the United States are on the verge of a prisoner swap mediated by Qatar, following a deal that involves the transfer of $6 billion of unfrozen Iranian funds to banks in Qatar. As part of the agreement, as many as five detained U.S. dual nationals will be released from Iran, while a similar number of Iranian prisoners held in the U.S. will be sent back to Iran. The negotiations, which sidestepped the thorny nuclear dispute, were held in Qatar and involved multiple rounds of talks. Qatar will monitor how Iran spends the unfrozen cash to ensure compliance with U.S. sanctions, and the prisoners will transit through Qatar during the swap.