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Prisoner Deal Could Smooth Effort to Contain Iran’s Nuclear Program [1]

['Michael Crowley', 'Ronen Bergman', 'Farnaz Fassihi']

Date: 2023-08-10

The announcement of a prisoner exchange deal between the United States and Iran could increase the prospects for further diplomatic cooperation, including the Biden administration’s longstanding goal of containing Iran’s nuclear program, according to officials and analysts.

While multiple flash points and deep-seated hostilities exist between Washington and Tehran, including Iranian threats to shipping traffic in the Persian Gulf and Iran’s support for Russia’s war in Ukraine, the success of a painstakingly negotiated prisoner agreement removes a severe problem from a relationship that is never far from military confrontation.

Under the deal announced on Thursday, Iran will release five Iranian Americans from custody in return for the freeing of five Iranians jailed in the United States, along with the unfreezing of some $6 billion in Iranian assets for humanitarian purposes under strict monitoring.

“The prisoner deal is a key step forward for Washington and Tehran’s efforts to lower tensions as they eye a return to formal nuclear negotiations later this year,” said Henry Rome, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

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[1] Url: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/10/us/politics/iran-us-prisoners-nuclear-program.html

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