What You Need To Know

Iran has officially named the five individuals it hopes to see released in the United States, as part of a potential exchange for five Iranian-Americans currently held in Tehran, along with the transfer of billions in assets formerly held by South Korea.

This move coincides with the Biden administration’s issuance of a sweeping waiver for global banks, enabling the seamless transfer of $6 billion in previously frozen Iranian funds from South Korea to Qatar.

The Details:

Ali Karimi Magham, a spokesperson for the Iranian mission, confirmed the list of sought-after prisoners.

The individuals in question include Kaveh Lotfolah Afrasiabi, facing charges related to foreign agent registration; Mehrdad Ansari, sentenced in 2021 for the procurement of equipment with potential military applications; Amin Hasanzadeh, charged with stealing engineering plans for transmission to Iran; Reza Sarhangpour Kafrani, accused of unauthorized export of laboratory equipment; and Kambiz Attar Kashani, sentenced for the acquisition of high-grade U.S. electronic equipment.

The U.S. State Department refrained from comment, citing the sensitivity of the ongoing process.