People familiar with negotiations said they expect the detainees will be released as early as next week. Blinken’s waiver is aimed at easing their concerns about any risk of U.S. sanctions on foreign banks that engage in transactions aimed at benefitting Iran, several European countries had balked at participating in the transfer. The fifth detainee had already been under house arrest.ĭue to numerous U.S. The transfer of the $6 billion was the critical element in the prisoner release deal, which saw four of the five American detainees transferred from Iranian jails into house arrest last month. sanctions in converting the money frozen in South Korea and transferring it to Qatar’s central bank, where it will be held for Iran to use for the purchase of humanitarian goods. The waiver means that European, Middle Eastern and Asian banks will not run afoul of U.S.
READ MORE: The tentative U.S.-Iran deal involving prisoners and frozen funds, explained The waiver is likely to draw criticism of President Joe Biden from Republicans and others that the deal will boost the Iranian economy at a time when Iran poses a growing threat to U.S.
But the notification marked the first time the administration said it was releasing five Iranian prisoners as part of the deal. The outlines of the deal had been previously announced and the waiver was expected. Congress was not informed of the waiver decision until Monday, according to the notification, which was obtained by The Associated Press. and Iranian officials said an agreement in principle was in place. Secretary of State Antony Blinken signed off on the sanctions waivers late last week, a month after U.S. In addition, as part of the deal, the administration has agreed to release five Iranian citizens held in the United States. WASHINGTON (AP) - The Biden administration has cleared the way for the release of five American citizens detained in Iran by issuing a blanket waiver for international banks to transfer $6 billion in frozen Iranian money from South Korea to Qatar without fear of U.S.
0 kommentar(er)
