Iran Says Willing to Swap Prisoners with United States

An Iranian woman, wearing a veil, walks next to an anti-US mural in a street in Tehran, Iran, 12 June 2023. (EPA)
An Iranian woman, wearing a veil, walks next to an anti-US mural in a street in Tehran, Iran, 12 June 2023. (EPA)
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Iran Says Willing to Swap Prisoners with United States

An Iranian woman, wearing a veil, walks next to an anti-US mural in a street in Tehran, Iran, 12 June 2023. (EPA)
An Iranian woman, wearing a veil, walks next to an anti-US mural in a street in Tehran, Iran, 12 June 2023. (EPA)

Iran said on Monday it was hoping indirect talks with the United States could lead to a "positive" outcome for a prisoner swap.

Iran announced earlier this month that it was engaged in Oman-mediated talks with its arch-nemesis the United States over its nuclear deal and a possible prisoner exchange.

"We are negotiating for the release of Iranian citizens through parties who play a role in good faith," Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said on Monday.

"We have to see if the American government is ready to make a final decision in this regard," he told reporters, adding that Tehran hoped "to witness such a positive event".

At least three Iranian-Americans are being held in Iran, including businessman Siamak Namazi, arrested in October 2015 and sentenced to 10 years in prison for espionage.

The other two are venture capitalist Emad Sharqi, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison on spying charges, and Morad Tahbaz, who also holds British nationality, and was jailed for 10 years for "conspiring with America".

In the past two months, Iran released six European citizens and recovered an Iranian diplomat, Assadollah Assadi, who was convicted of terrorism and imprisoned in Belgium.

Kanani's comment came following media reports that Washington and Tehran were close to an interim deal to replace the 2015 nuclear accord. The two sides have denied these reports.

Known as the JCPOA, the accord granted Iran much-needed sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear deal before it collapsed in 2018 after Washington unilateral pullout.

In recent days, the two capitals have denied media reports that they were close to reaching an interim deal to replace the 2015 accord.

Efforts to revive the accord have so far failed to yield results.

Stop-start talks that began in April last year to restore the nuclear deal have yet to bear fruit.

Tehran and Washington cut diplomatic ties in 1980 following the revolution in Iran.



‘Nobody Knows:’ Trump Won’t Say Whether He Will Move Forward with US Strikes on Iran

US President Donald Trump looks on during the installation of a new flagpole on the South Lawn at the White House in Washington, DC, US, June 18, 2025. (Reuters)
US President Donald Trump looks on during the installation of a new flagpole on the South Lawn at the White House in Washington, DC, US, June 18, 2025. (Reuters)
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‘Nobody Knows:’ Trump Won’t Say Whether He Will Move Forward with US Strikes on Iran

US President Donald Trump looks on during the installation of a new flagpole on the South Lawn at the White House in Washington, DC, US, June 18, 2025. (Reuters)
US President Donald Trump looks on during the installation of a new flagpole on the South Lawn at the White House in Washington, DC, US, June 18, 2025. (Reuters)

President Donald Trump would not say Wednesday whether he has decided to order a US strike on Iran, a move that Tehran warned anew would be greeted with stiff retaliation if it happens.

"I may do it, I may not do it," Trump said in an exchange with reporters at the White House. "I mean, nobody knows what I’m going to do."

Trump added that it’s not "too late" for Iran to give up its nuclear program as he continues to weigh direct US involvement in Israel's military operations aimed at crushing Tehran's nuclear program.

"Nothing’s too late," Trump said. "I can tell you this. Iran’s got a lot of trouble."

"Nothing is finished until it is finished," Trump added. But "the next week is going to be very big— maybe less than a week."

He also offered a terse response to Iran Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's refusal to heed to his call for Iran to submit to an unconditional surrender.

"I say good luck," Trump said.

Khamenei earlier Wednesday warned that any United States strikes targeting Iran will "result in irreparable damage for them" and that his country would not bow to Trump’s call for surrender.

Trump said Tuesday the US knows where Iran’s Khamenei is hiding as the Israel-Iran conflict escalates but doesn’t want him killed — "for now."

"He is an easy target, but is safe there - We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now," Trump said.

Trump’s increasingly muscular comments toward the Iranian government come after he urged Tehran’s 9.5 million residents to flee for their lives as he cut short his participation in an international summit earlier this week to return to Washington for urgent talks with his national security team.