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Four Americans to be Freed in Exchange for Iranian Assets Thaw

Chase Baker
Chase Baker
Chase is a seasoned journalist and former resident of Iraqi Kurdistan. With a background in English and Philosophy from the College of Charleston, Chase covered the 2022 conflict in eastern Ukraine, including cities like Kharkiv, Bakhmut, and Kramatorsk. He has also produced short documentaries in Ukraine and the U.S., and has been with Atlas for three years.

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What You Need To Know:

The United States and Iran have struck a deal.

Four Americans imprisoned at Evin Prison in Iran will be freed.

In exchange, the U.S. will release numerous jailed Iranians and unfreeze around $6 billion in Iranian oil revenue.

The Breakdown:

A recent agreement between the United States and Iran signals a turning point in ongoing negotiations, focusing on detainees’ release and unfreezing Iranian assets. After extensive talks, the two countries have hammered out a comprehensive deal with several interconnected elements.

As a core part of the deal, five American citizens imprisoned in Iran will gain freedom. In return, the United States will release numerous jailed Iranians, and around $6 billion in frozen Iranian oil revenue will be handed over.

The first step involves transitioning the American detainees from prison to house arrest. Individuals such as Emad Sharghi and Morad Tahbaz, held on espionage charges, will be moved to house arrest, paving the way for their eventual release. Two unnamed individuals are also part of this release, one identified as a scientist and the other as a businessman.

The three detainees, along with the undisclosed individuals, have been relocated from Evin Prison to a hotel in Tehran, where they will stay for a period before departing Iran.

The detainees’ freedom is directly tied to the financial transaction. Their departure hinges on $6 billion being deposited into a Qatari bank account.

Many other countries were involved in brokering the deal, including Oman, Qatar, and Switzerland.

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