US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, confirmed, on Tuesday, that the United States will continue to put pressure on Iran, “and we will never allow it to acquire a nuclear weapon.”
“We will continue to work to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, despite the prisoner exchange agreement,” he said in a press conference.
Blinken indicated that he had spoken, on Monday, with the families of the American detainees who were transferred to house arrest in Iran.
The US secretary stressed that US policies towards Iran “will not change despite the agreement on prisoners.”
Blinken stressed that the transfer of detained Americans to house arrest “is not related to any other aspect of our policy towards Iran.”
Blinken welcomed “any step Iran takes to reduce escalation in the nuclear file,” noting that “he cannot confirm media reports that Iran has slowed down its nuclear program.”
In his speech, he stressed that the United States would have “great control over Iranian funds that may be released within the framework of the detainees’ agreement.”
At least 3 Iranian Americans are being held in Iran, including businessman Siamak Namazi, who was arrested in October 2015 and sentenced to 10 years in prison on espionage charges.
Among the other prisoners, the Iranian-American investor, Imad Sharqi, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for espionage, according to Iranian media, and Murad Tahbaz, an American of Iranian origin who also holds British citizenship, was arrested in January 2018 and sentenced to 10 years in prison for “conspiracy.” with America.”
The indirect talks were part of a two-year process that led to the announcement of a diplomatic breakthrough deal between Washington and Tehran.
And Thursday, those intensive efforts produced the first results, when Iran released the four Americans who were being held in the notorious Evin prison, and transferred them to house arrest.
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2023-08-15 17:44:49
