Iran: No Pre-conditions for Prisoner Swap with US

Abdollahian speaks at the ‘Iran and BRICS: Prospects for Partnership and Cooperation’ conference in Tehran on Tuesday (Iranian Foreign Ministry)
Abdollahian speaks at the ‘Iran and BRICS: Prospects for Partnership and Cooperation’ conference in Tehran on Tuesday (Iranian Foreign Ministry)
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Iran: No Pre-conditions for Prisoner Swap with US

Abdollahian speaks at the ‘Iran and BRICS: Prospects for Partnership and Cooperation’ conference in Tehran on Tuesday (Iranian Foreign Ministry)
Abdollahian speaks at the ‘Iran and BRICS: Prospects for Partnership and Cooperation’ conference in Tehran on Tuesday (Iranian Foreign Ministry)

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Tuesday that Tehran has no pre-conditions for a prisoner swap deal with the United States.

Abdollahian stated that Iran has been for months discussing prisoner swaps with Washington via Oman and Qatar, and that Iran has announced its readiness to exchange prisoners to intermediary parties.

The Iranian FM was then asked about reports saying the total of US citizens detained in Iran has increased to five after the arrest of an American woman of Iranian origins.

“The number is not important in this file,” Abdollahian said.

“The issue of prisoner exchange is a humanitarian one and we do not consider any preconditions for it. We have announced to the intermediary parties that we will exchange prisoners within agreed frameworks,” the top Iranian diplomat added, according to ISNA.

Abdollahian’s comments came hours after he held a phone call with his Omani counterpart Sayyid Badr Al Busaidi.

The two ministers discussed the latest developments regarding their ties and the implementation of the deals signed between the two sides, Iran's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Iran’s extremist newspaper, Khorasan, said Monday that the US suspended a deal to release four US nationals in Iran in return for four Iranian prisoners in the US “until the release of the US woman arrested” over spying charges.

State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller declined to confirm or deny the arrest of the fifth US citizen when asked about the issue during his daily press conference on Monday evening.

Meanwhile, Abdollahian arrived in the Japanese capital on Sunday where he held talks with senior government officials. Discussions touched on the bilateral relations between the two countries and other regional and international issues.

Abdollahian said that Japan put forward proposals on indirect negotiations with the aim of reviving the nuclear agreement and stopping Iranian nuclear violations in return for lifting sanctions.

He said that Iran is seeking ways to reactivate the nuclear agreement through negotiations and expressed appreciation for Japan’s diplomatic efforts.

Meanwhile, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov visited Tehran and held talks with his Iranian counterparts, Ali Bagheri Kani Reza Najaf on the future of the Iran nuclear deal and other security issues, ISNA said late on Monday.

Ryabkov and Bagheri Kani exchanged views on the implementation of Resolution 2231. The Russian official then invited Iran to continue its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) despite US obstacles.

Ryabkov further said the revival of the Iran nuclear deal hinges on the decision of the United States and European participants in the JCPOA, expressing certainty that the Iranian friends are ready for the JCPOA revival.

Ryabkov then stated that Russia supports Iran's membership in the BRICS group.

He said that the military cooperation between Iran and Russia will continue despite the enemies' opposition, adding that Russia is committed to cooperation with its friendly countries like Iran.

Tehran on Tuesday organized an ‘Iran and BRICS: Prospects for Partnership and Cooperation’ conference.

At the event, Abdollahian said Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi will participate in the BRICS summit, which will be held this month in Johannesburg.

Iran is trying to convince BRICS members to accept its request to join the organization.



Ukraine Seeks Air Defense Systems as Western Backers Meet without the Pentagon Chief

(L-R) Supreme Allied Commander Europe SACEUR General Christopher G. Cavoli, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, British Chief of the Defense Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, British Secretary of State for Defense John Healey, Defense Minister of Ukraine Rustem Umerov, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and Ukrainian Brigadier General Volodymyr Horbatiuk attend a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group ahead of a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) defense ministers meeting at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, 04 June 2025. (EPA)
(L-R) Supreme Allied Commander Europe SACEUR General Christopher G. Cavoli, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, British Chief of the Defense Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, British Secretary of State for Defense John Healey, Defense Minister of Ukraine Rustem Umerov, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and Ukrainian Brigadier General Volodymyr Horbatiuk attend a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group ahead of a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) defense ministers meeting at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, 04 June 2025. (EPA)
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Ukraine Seeks Air Defense Systems as Western Backers Meet without the Pentagon Chief

(L-R) Supreme Allied Commander Europe SACEUR General Christopher G. Cavoli, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, British Chief of the Defense Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, British Secretary of State for Defense John Healey, Defense Minister of Ukraine Rustem Umerov, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and Ukrainian Brigadier General Volodymyr Horbatiuk attend a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group ahead of a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) defense ministers meeting at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, 04 June 2025. (EPA)
(L-R) Supreme Allied Commander Europe SACEUR General Christopher G. Cavoli, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, British Chief of the Defense Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, British Secretary of State for Defense John Healey, Defense Minister of Ukraine Rustem Umerov, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and Ukrainian Brigadier General Volodymyr Horbatiuk attend a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group ahead of a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) defense ministers meeting at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, 04 June 2025. (EPA)

Ukraine’s president on Wednesday urged Western backers to speed up deliveries of air defense systems to counter Russian missile strikes and to help boost weapons production.

The emphasis should be on US-made Patriot systems, President Volodymyr Zelenskky told a Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels.

"These are the most effective way to force Russia to stop its missile strikes and terror," he said via video link, urging representatives of around 50 countries to make good on past pledges.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth did not attend, the first time a Pentagon chief has been absent since the forum for organizing Ukraine's military aid was set up three years ago. Hegseth’s predecessor, Lloyd Austin, created the group after Russia launched all-out war on Ukraine in 2022.

His absence is the latest step that the Trump administration has taken to distance itself from Ukraine’s efforts to repel Russia’s full-scale invasion, which began on Feb. 24, 2022. More than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed, according to UN estimates, as well as tens of thousands of soldiers on both sides.

Zelenskyy also appealed to the participants to buy weapons direct from Ukraine. "Ukrainian industry still has significant untapped capacity, it just needs financing," he said, underlining that a funding gap for weapons procurement amounts to about $18 billion.

The UK, which chaired the meeting along with Germany, said it plans a tenfold increase in drone production to help Ukraine. Drones have become a decisive factor in the war, now in its fourth year.

"We must ensure that Ukraine’s forces have what they need, when they need it, to continue their fight. But this is not just Ukraine’s battle. It’s a battle for the security of Europe, for our security today, tomorrow, and for our future generations," UK Defense Secretary John Healey said.

Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene said that "you recognize true friends not during a party, but when you do have difficult times. So therefore, our continuation of support for Ukraine and increasing it is of utmost importance."

Since the contact group was formed, Ukraine’s backers have collectively provided around $126 billion in weapons and military assistance, including more than $66.5 billion from the US.

The United States hasn't chaired a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group since the Trump administration took office in January.

European NATO allies are concerned that the US might withdraw troops from Europe to focus on the Indo-Pacific. French President Emmanuel Macron has warned that abandoning Ukraine would erode US credibility in deterring any conflict with China over Taiwan.