Prisoners fly out of Iran after US swap is agreed

FIVE prisoners, thought to include British-American-Iranian Morad Tahbaz, who were sought by the US as part of a swap, have left Tehran, an official said.

 

Flight-tracking data analysed by the Associated Press showed a Qatar Airways flight took off from Mehrabad International Airport, which has been used for exchanges in the past. Iranian state media soon after said the flight had left Tehran and a US official later confirmed five American prisoners and two family members were flying to the US.

Earlier, a total of nearly 6 billion dollars (£4.84bn) of Iranian assets once frozen in South Korea was sent to Qatar, a key element for the planned swap of prisoners.