RUMOR MILL

U.S. Denies Iranian Claims That a Prisoner Swap Deal Has Been Reached

Iranian state TV announced that a deal was made to release U.S. and U.K. prisoners in exchange for billions in aide. But the U.S. says that is just not true.

The U.S. State Department has adamantly denied reports out of Iran that a deal worth billions in aide has been reached with both the U.S. and U.K. to secure the release of American, British, and other prisoners held in Iran with ties to the West. On Sunday, Iranian state television reported a deal worth billions of dollars, including around $7 billion in frozen Iranian assets seized over Iran’s nuclear enrichment program. “The Americans accepted to pay $7 billion and swap four Iranians who were active in bypassing sanctions for four American spies who have served part of their sentences,” state TV said. But State Department spokesman Ned Price walked back the announcement. “Reports that a prisoner swap deal has been reached are not true,” Price said. “As we have said, we always raise the cases of Americans detained or missing in Iran. We will not stop until we are able to reunite them with their families.”

Among the many foreign prisoners held in Iran on spying and other charges are Baquer and Siamak Namazi, Morad Tahbaz and Iranian-American businessman Emad Shargi and British Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.