Frozen funds totalling $6 billion have been transferred to Qatari banks under a US-Iran prisoner swap deal, with a plane on standby in Tehran to fly out five American detainees, a source told AFP on Monday.
The release of the funds by US ally South Korea, long blocked under US sanctions, is the key condition for the exchange of five Americans detained in Iran and, according to Tehran, five Iranians held in the US.
Qatar, which acted as the mediator as Washington and Tehran do not have diplomatic relations, has informed both sides of the transfer, said the source briefed on details of the matter.
“Iranian and US officials have been notified by Qatar that all $6 billion has been transferred from Switzerland to bank accounts in Qatar,” said the source, requesting anonymity.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member