U.S. officers dismissed Iranian claims that the 2 nations had been nearing an settlement on a prisoner swap, saying feedback from Iran’s prime diplomat had been a “merciless lie.”
Iranian Overseas Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian stated Sunday on Iranian state tv that Iran was in settlement with the U.S. on a prisoner swap, saying “If all the pieces goes effectively on the American’s aspect, I believe we’ll see the alternate of prisoners within the brief time period.”
Amirabdollahian claimed the settlement had been in place since final March, however U.S. officers informed The Related Press that there was no such deal between the 2 nations.
“We’re working relentlessly to safe the discharge of the three wrongfully detained Individuals in Iran,” State Division spokesperson Ned Worth stated to the Related Press. “We is not going to cease till they’re reunited with their family members.”
Worth stated the feedback from Amirabdollahian had been “one other particularly merciless lie that solely provides to the struggling of their households.”
The Nationwide Safety Council additionally stated that the Iranian claims had been false in an announcement to the Related Press.
“Sadly, Iranian officers is not going to hesitate to make issues up, and the newest merciless declare will trigger extra heartache for the households of Siamak Namazi, Emad Shargi and Morad Tahbaz,” the council stated.
Siamak Namazi, Emad Shargi and Morad Tahbaz are three Individuals which are recognized to be held in Iran on espionage expenses, a follow that the Iranian regime is understood to make use of to realize leverage in negotiations with the west. All of them three have twin American-Iranian citizenship.
The declare from Iran comes because the nation reached an sudden, Chinese language-negotiated settlement with Saudi Arabia, which is able to see the 2 nations reengage diplomatic ties with one another. The Chinese language involvement within the deal between the 2 adversaries has raised alarms concerning the affect of the U.S. within the area.
The State Division didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This materials might not be printed, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.