Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al-Thani expressed the belief that the prisoner swap deal between Iran and the US would enhance the overall atmosphere in their relations and contribute to the rebuilding of trust between the two nations.
"We take great pride in Qatar's role in facilitating the return of these individuals to their families," he remarked during an interview with the US channel CNN, while discussing the prisoner exchange between Iran and the US that was mediated by Doha.
The Qatari prime minister stated that the agreement represented a significant building block in the effort to rebuild trust between Tehran and Washington.
"I cannot guarantee that it will result in the restoration of the nuclear deal, but it will certainly create a more positive atmosphere between Iran and the United States," Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al-Thani added. "I hope that both countries view this as a step toward improved conditions for reaching a comprehensive agreement on the nuclear issue and any other outstanding matters," he stated.
On Monday, a five-for-five prisoner exchange occurred between Iran and the United States. An aircraft carrying the five released American citizens departed from Iran to Doha. Additionally, two family members of the former prisoners, who, according to the US administration, were prohibited from leaving the Islamic Republic, were aboard the plane. Simultaneously, US President Joe Biden announced sanctions against former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (2005-2013) and the Islamic Republic's intelligence ministry.
As part of the prisoner exchange agreement, Iran regained access to its assets that had been frozen in South Korean bank accounts due to US sanctions. Mohammad Reza Farzin, the Governor of the Central Bank of Iran, confirmed that the assets amounting to $5.9 billion have been deposited into Iranian banks' accounts in Qatar. He stated that earlier in August, the funds were transferred from South Korea to Switzerland for conversion into euros.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
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Based on materials from TASS