The United States believes the agreement that Iran will eventually release the five American citizens is still going ahead as planned, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Tuesday (22/8). But he declined to name a deadline.
Iran on August 10 released four Americans who had been jailed under house arrest. They join a fifth American already under house arrest. This is the first step of a deal under which $6 billion of Iranian funds in South Korea will be disbursed and the five will eventually be allowed to leave the Islamic Republic.
“We believe everything is progressing according to the understanding we have reached with Iran. I don’t have a firm timetable because there are still steps that need to be taken. But we believe it is still on track,” Sullivan told reporters in a conference call.
Allowing the five to leave Iran, which could take weeks, would put an end to major resentment between the United States and Iran, which are still at loggerheads over issues ranging from Iran’s nuclear program to Iran’s support for regional Shiite militias.
The Iranian Americans allowed to leave Iran’s Evin prison on Aug. 10 include businessmen Siamak Namazi, 51, and Emad Shargi, 58, and environmental activist Morad Tahbaz, 67, who is also a British citizen. The identity of the fourth American citizen who left the prison has not been made public, as has the identity of the fifth citizen who has been under house arrest. (s/f)
