Release of prisoners in US, unfreezing of assets ‘diplomatic feat’ for Iran: Analyst

By Ali Ghorban Bagheri

The unblocking of Iran’s frozen assets in South Korea and the release of Iranian prisoners in the US is an achievement for Iranian diplomacy and a prelude to further talks on the nuclear issue, says an analyst.

Haidar Mustafa, a journalist and international affairs analyst based in Syria, in an interview with the Press TV website described the recent deal between the US and Iran as a diplomatic feat for the latter.

He said the prisoner exchange deal that also saw the release of Iranian funds frozen illegally in Seoul must be a prelude to further talks between Iran and the United States, especially on the nuclear issue, as Washington’s dilly-dallying and indecision have put the 2015 nuclear deal on the back burner.

Mustafa said the recent agreement, mediated by Qatar and some other regional countries, had political and economic implications but what it made emphatically clear is that the Islamic Republic looks for “constructive negotiations,” which the US and its Western allies “must understand.”

 However, he hastened to add that the release of blocked money and prisoners, regardless of whether or not it leads to other measures in the future, is a “political and diplomatic achievement for Tehran.”

Under a deal between Iran and the US reached last month, the two sides agreed to exchange prisoners and release some $6 billion of Iranian funds, which were transferred to Iranian bank accounts in Qatar.

Central Bank of Iran Governor Mohammad Reza Farzin confirmed that the Islamic Republic’s released funds totaling some $6 billion had been transferred to Qatari banks.

He said the release of Iran's financial assets that had been blocked in South Korea had been deposited into the accounts of six Iranian banks in Qatar’s Al Ahli and Al Dukhan banks.

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The Biden administration also released five Iranian citizens who had been arrested on illegal grounds.

The five Iranians were identified as Mehrdad Moein Ansari, Kambiz Attar Kashani, Reza Sarhangpour Kofrani, Amin Hassanzadeh, and Kaveh Lotfollah Afrasiabi. 

Mustafa said he believes the agreement will not significantly bring down tension between the two countries as Washington continues its hostile policies toward the Islamic Republic.

He said the US failed to dissuade Saudi Arabia from pursuing normalization talks with Iran, which were mediated by China in March and led to the restoration of ties between Tehran and Riyadh.

The policy to isolate the Islamic Republic has effectively backfired on the United States.

The Syrian international affairs analyst said the Biden administration is trying to use the release of five Americans in Tehran as a card ahead of next year’s elections, especially since the policy of sanctions against Iran failed to achieve the desired results.

Among the five Americans released in Tehran included Siamak Namazi, Emad Sharghi and Morad Tahbaz, who had been arrested for carrying out espionage. 

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk