Jaberi Ansari: The Release of American Prisoners Was Unrelated to the Release of Iran's Assets

The spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry reacted to a video broadcast by the Islamic Republic's television regarding the prisoner exchange between Iran and the United States, stating that this action was coordinated with 'high-ranking officials of the country' and had no connection to the release of Iran's assets in the U.S. According to the state news agency IRNA, Hossein Jaberi Ansari announced on Tuesday, February 16, that negotiations regarding the prisoner exchange were conducted at the 'request' of the U.S. government and accepted by the Iranian government 'after coordination with high-ranking officials of the country.' In response to some claims made in a television program on this matter, he stated that the prisoner exchange between the two countries was 'unrelated' to the release of the bank account balance related to Iran's arms purchases, which had been blocked in the U.S. since the victory of the Islamic Revolution. According to Mr. Jaberi Ansari, negotiations related to these two issues were conducted 'through separate channels.' Iranian television announced on Monday that Iran received $1.7 billion for the release of four Iranian-American citizens, including the principal and interest of $400 million from its assets that had been blocked in the U.S. 35 years ago. The video showed that $400 million in cash was transferred to Iran by plane, and the U.S. committed to paying part of the interest on this money while promising to pay the remaining interest as well. The video also stated that the removal of Bank Sepah from sanctions was one of Iran's demands in exchange for the release of these prisoners. On January 15, coinciding with the implementation of the JCPOA, Iran and the U.S. agreed to release a number of citizens of both countries who were imprisoned in each other's countries. After the prisoner exchange, it became clear that this agreement was reached following negotiations that had taken place a year and a half prior. According to this agreement, four dual-national Iranian-American prisoners held in Iranian prisons were released, and in return, the U.S. government agreed to release seven Iranian prisoners in this country. Jason Rezaian, a journalist for the Washington Post, Amir Hekmati, a former Marine, Saeed Abedini, a Christian convert, and Nasratollah Khosravi Roudsari were the four Iranian-American citizens released from Iranian prisons. The seven Iranians imprisoned in U.S. prisons who were released under this agreement were mainly detained and imprisoned for circumventing U.S. sanctions against Iran and during the buying or selling or sending of dual-use electronic equipment to Iran. The video broadcast by Iranian television also referenced the failure of Jimmy Carter, the Democratic U.S. president, to free diplomats and staff taken hostage at the U.S. embassy in Tehran during his presidency. Meanwhile, Ali Shamkhani, the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, stated on February 11 regarding the prisoner exchange between Iran and the U.S.: 'Republican rivals of the U.S. government sent a message not to release them, but we acted based on our own will.'