PM:11:12:12/03/2023
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SULAIMANI — A US official on Sunday (March 12) rejected
allegations by Iran that a prisoner swap agreement had been reached between the
two countries.
"Statements from Iranian officials that a deal regarding the
exchange of prisoners has been reached are another especially cruel lie that
only adds to the suffering of their families,” State Department spokesperson
Ned Price told CNN.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian made a
claim on Sunday that a prisoner exchange deal had been reached between the two
nations.
Speaking to the state broadcaster, Amir-Abdollahian said the
deal was clinched recently between the two sides, ending year-long efforts
marked by multiple interruptions.
"Regarding the issue of the exchange of prisoners
between Iran and the US, we have reached an agreement in recent days,” he said.
"If everything goes well” on the American side, the swap
will happen "in a short period”, he added.
The issue of prisoners has been one of the key sticking
points in Vienna nuclear talks, with Tehran repeatedly asking Washington to not
tie the issue with the nuclear deal.
The Biden administration has repeatedly called for the
release of dual nationals detained in Iran over spying charges, including
Siamak Namazi, Emad Shargi and Morad Tahbaz.
Namazi is an Iranian-American businessman who has been
jailed in Iran since 2015. Shargi, also an Iranian-American businessman, has
been in Iranian jail since 2018. Tahbaz, an Iranian-American environmentalist
who also holds a British passport, was jailed in early 2018.
(NRT Digital Media/AA)