ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The United States on Sunday denied a claim by Iran’s foreign minister of a prisoner swap deal between the two countries, calling it a “cruel lie.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told state TV on Sunday that Tehran and Washington had reached an initial agreement to exchange prisoners in recent days, adding “If everything goes well from the American side, we will witness the exchange of prisoners in the short term.”
Amir-Abdollahian also alleged that an earlier agreement on this issue was “indirectly signed and approved” in March 2022, stating that the ground for its implementation has now been set.
The remarks of the Iranian diplomat were quickly dismissed by Spokesperson for the US State Department Ned Price, telling the Associated Press that the comments were “another especially cruel lie that only adds to the suffering of their families.”
Swapping prisoners has been a major point of contention during Tehran-Washington negotiations and a key US demand.
There are a number of dual and foreign nationals being held in Iranian prisons on charges of spying for foreign governments with rights groups accusing Tehran of using them as bargaining chips to gain concessions from world powers.
Iran in January carried out the death sentence of Iranian-British national Alireza Akbari on charges of spying for the UK’s intelligence agency and threatening Tehran’s national security.
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