‘Indirect but active’ talks being held with Iran on US detainees: State Department

The United States has been engaging in “indirect but active” discussions to secure the release of US detainees in Iran, State Department spokesman Ned Price said on Tuesday, adding that Washington was treating those talks independently from the nuclear talks.

Earlier, Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiei said Tehran was holding talks on prisoner exchanges with the United States aimed at securing the release of Iranians held in US jails and other countries over violations of US sanctions.

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Iran “is ready to swap all political prisoners in exchange for freeing all Iranian prisoners across the world,” Rabiei told reporters at a televised press conference.

They include those “who have been detained upon US orders” or at Washington’s request, he added, saying that “the negotiations on this issue are ongoing”

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said Monday that Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif had “put forth a plan to swap all Iranian and American prisoners,” state news agency IRNA reported.

“Biden’s administration also considered this issue from the first day” in office, he said.

Read more: Iran says US will delist IRGC, lift sanctions on Khamenei, Raisi if nuke deal revived